{"id":224837,"date":"2019-11-13T12:37:51","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T17:37:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=224837"},"modified":"2021-11-11T13:30:54","modified_gmt":"2021-11-11T18:30:54","slug":"delegates-deplore-excessive-use-of-lethal-force-during-peaceful-demonstrations-as-fourth-committee-begins-debate-on-israeli-practices-in-occupied-territories-press-release-ga-spd-711","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/delegates-deplore-excessive-use-of-lethal-force-during-peaceful-demonstrations-as-fourth-committee-begins-debate-on-israeli-practices-in-occupied-territories-press-release-ga-spd-711\/","title":{"rendered":"Delegates Deplore Excessive Use of Lethal Force During Peaceful Demonstrations, as Fourth Committee Begins Debate on Israeli Practices in Occupied Territories – Press Release (GA\/SPD\/711)"},"content":{"rendered":"
SEVENTY-FOURTH SESSION,<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>23RD MEETING (PM)<\/strong>
\nGA\/SPD\/711<\/strong>
\n13 NOVEMBER 2019<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/h6>\n

Fran\u00e7ais<\/a><\/p>\n

Secretary-General\u2019s Reports Details Plight of Children in Detention, Occupation\u2019s Profound Effects on Daily Life<\/h4>\n

Speakers decried Israel\u2019s excessive use of force during peaceful demonstrations today, citing more than 100\u00a0deaths and thousands of injuries, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) began its general debate on Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs of the occupied territories.<\/p>\n

Presenting the report of the Special Committee on Israeli Practices, Satyajit Arjuna Rodrigo (Sri Lanka), its Chair, noted that 138\u00a0Palestinians have been killed and a further 15,901\u00a0injured, largely in the context of peaceful demonstrations held between September\u00a02018 and August\u00a02019.\u00a0 In that regard, he stressed that Israeli forces must respect international instruments pertaining to law enforcement.<\/p>\n

Calling particular attention to the toll of Israeli practices on Palestinian children, he noted that 29\u00a0were killed and 4,387\u00a0others injured in Gaza during the same period.\u00a0 Citing also the growing number of arrested children, he said they continue to suffer ill treatment during arrest and detention, and that 210\u00a0children are in detention as of July\u00a02019.<\/p>\n

He went on to point out the continuing settlement expansion and development in both the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the Syrian Golan, saying there has been a sharp increase in planning for future construction.\u00a0 The year\u00a02018 saw the highest number of approvals for new settlement housing units since\u00a02012, he added, emphasizing the profound impact that settlements have on the daily life of Palestinians and Syrians, as well as their role as a key driver of human rights violations.<\/p>\n

Concurring, an observer for the State of Palestine said that international inaction, coupled with ongoing appeasement, has led Israel to assume that it will never be held responsible for its crimes. \u201cThis has fuelled its belief that it can continue to act with impunity, as a State above the law, going so far as to openly declare its plans to annex our land.\u201d<\/p>\n

She went on to cite a statement by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since\u00a01967, to the effect that with that announcement by Israel, the patina of temporary occupation has come to an end.\u00a0 As such, the international community\u2019s inaction has also undermined prospects for a two-State solution and accelerated efforts to replace it with an apartheid State, she stressed.<\/p>\n

In that context, South Africa\u2019s representative recalled that his country liberated itself from apartheid because the international community refused to accept the existence of an overtly racist government in modern times.\u00a0 However, there is a lack of similar indignation vis-\u00e0-vis the Palestinian people\u2019s plight, he pointed out.<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia\u2019s representative, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, emphasized that any action by Israel to forcibly remove Palestinians from their homes, build settlements, confiscate territory or declare Jerusalem its capital are null and void since they are not based on law, custom or international ethics.\u00a0 Al Quds is an integral part of Palestinian territory and the eternal capital of a Palestinian State, he said, stressing that Israel\u2019s continuing efforts to change facts on the ground and impose its settlement plans undermine any chance for a two-State solution.<\/p>\n

Andrew Gilmour, Assistant Secretary-General in the Office of the Â鶹APP High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), noted that the Secretary-General\u2019s report raises concerns about possible impunity for Israeli forces relating to arbitrary detention, and details ill-treatment of Palestinians in custody.\u00a0 The report further highlights an unacceptably high number of Palestinian children killed by Israeli security forces and raises concerns that not enough is being done to protect them, he said.<\/p>\n

Also speaking today were representatives of Azerbaijan (for the Non-Aligned Movement), Democratic People\u2019s Republic of Korea, Japan, Qatar, Maldives, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Namibia, Iraq, Cuba, Brunei Darussalam and Syria.<\/p>\n

An observer for the European Union delegation also addressed the Committee.<\/p>\n

The Fourth Committee will reconvene at 10\u00a0a.m. on Thursday, 14\u00a0November, to continue its general debate on Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs of the occupied territories.<\/p>\n

Opening Statements<\/u><\/p>\n

SATYAJIT ARJUNA RODRIGO (Sri Lanka), Chair of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, presented a note by the Secretary\u2011General transmitting that panel\u2019s report (document\u00a0A\/74\/356<\/a>).\u00a0 Noting the continuing settlement expansion and development in both the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the Syrian Golan, he said there has been a sharp increase in planning for future construction.\u00a0 The year\u00a02018 saw the highest number of approvals for new settlement housing units since\u00a02012, he added.\u00a0 Emphasizing the profound impact that settlements have on the daily life of Palestinians and Syrians, and their role as a key driver of human rights violations, he reported that Israeli security forces demolished 106\u00a0housing units owned by Palestinians in the West Bank between January and August, leaving at least 295\u00a0Palestinians displaced.\u00a0 Moreover, there is a worrying rise in settler violence, harassment and intimidation directed at Palestinians, he said, expressing particular concern about the H2 area of Hebron.<\/p>\n

He went on to express further concern about the continuing loss of life and excessive use of force by Israel\u2019s security forces during demonstrations near the security fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip.\u00a0 Largely in the context of peaceful demonstrations from September\u00a02018 to August\u00a02019, 138\u00a0Palestinians have been killed and a further 15,901\u00a0injured, he reported, stressing that Israeli forces must respect international instruments pertaining to law enforcement.\u00a0 Killing in the absence of an imminent threat of death or serious injury may amount to arbitrary deprivation of life, he cautioned.\u00a0 Turning to the blockade on Gaza, he reported some improvements in the supply of electricity and fuel while observing that demand is much higher.\u00a0 That disparity affects commerce, factories, industries and households, with the electricity shortage, in particular, affecting health care.\u00a0 Moreover, Israeli authorities regularly deny or delay exit permits allowing access to health care for Palestinians injured in demonstrations, he said, citing Israel\u2019s approval of 61\u00a0per cent of applications for permits from Gaza in May\u00a02019, against only 18\u00a0per cent approved for those injured during demonstrations in the same month.<\/p>\n

Concerning the situation of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody, he expressed serious concern about the use of administrative detention, often based on secret information.\u00a0 The Special Committee continues to receive worrying reports about lack of access to health care for such detainees, he said, expressing concern about deaths in custody.\u00a0 He went on to highlight reports of Israeli practices during detention and interrogation that may amount to torture, citing the example of Samer Al A\u2019rbeed, who was arrested on 25\u00a0September and hospitalized two days later.\u00a0 He called particular attention to the toll of Israeli practices on Palestinian children, noting that 29\u00a0were killed and 4,387\u00a0others injured in Gaza between September\u00a02018 and August\u00a02019.\u00a0 Children\u2019s right to education is severely restricted in Gaza and the West Bank, he said, pointing out that Israel\u2019s restrictions on the construction of new schools, as well as its demolition of structures used as schools, have had a severely detrimental impact on access to education.\u00a0 Citing the growing number of arrested children, he said they continue to suffer ill-treatment during arrest and detention, adding that 210\u00a0children are in detention as of July\u00a02019.<\/p>\n

Turning to the Syrian Golan, he reported that Israel\u2019s new plan for settlements \u2014 revealed by that country\u2019s Government in April \u2014 involves the transfer of 250,000\u00a0settlers to the Golan by\u00a02048.\u00a0 Moreover, local elections held in the region on 30\u00a0October\u00a02018 are a manifestation of Israel\u2019s desire to impose its own sovereignty over the Syrian Golan, he said, noting that hundreds of Syrians protested outside polling stations and most boycotted the election.\u00a0 Observing that discriminatory Israeli practices against Palestinians and Syrians are increasing, he stressed the urgent need to revive the peace process, reiterating the Special Committee\u2019s strong support for a two-State solution.\u00a0 As such, he called upon Israel to end its occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the occupied Syrian Golan, cease all settlement activity and lift the land and sea blockade and other closures imposed on the Gaza Strip.\u00a0 Moreover, Israeli security forces must act in accordance with the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, he stressed.<\/p>\n

Introduction of Reports<\/u><\/p>\n

ANDREW GILMOUR, Assistant Secretary-General, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), delivered a statement on behalf of the Secretary-General and introduced the latter\u2019s reports on:\u00a0 Applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12\u00a0August\u00a01949, to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the other occupied Arab territories (document\u00a0A\/74\/219<\/a>); and Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan (document\u00a0A\/74\/357<\/a>).<\/p>\n

He said the latter report provides an update on the settlement enterprise, including increasing settlement planning as well as a 50\u00a0per cent rise in demolitions of Palestinian structures in the West Bank in comparison with the previous reporting period.\u00a0 It also highlights increasing violence by settlers and focuses on the impact of settlements on Palestinian communities at risk of forcible transfer, he said, noting that the report cites examples from the Nablus Governorate and Hebron H2 area, specifically.\u00a0 Regarding settler violence, he reported that several incidents took place in the presence of Israeli security forces, occasionally with their direct participation.<\/p>\n

Introducing the report of the Secretary\u2011General on Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem (document\u00a0A\/74\/468<\/a>), he noted that excessive use of force by Israeli security forces has persisted.\u00a0 He also pointed out the Secretary-General\u2019s serious concern over the high number of Palestinians killed at considerable distance from the Gaza security perimeter in circumstances that did not appear to involve a threat of death or serious injury.\u00a0 The report further highlights an unacceptably high number of Palestinian children killed by Israeli security forces and raises concerns that not enough is being done to protect them, he said.<\/p>\n

Moreover, he continued, the report raises concerns about possible impunity for Israeli forces relating to arbitrary detention, and details reports of ill-treatment of Palestinians in custody.\u00a0 He went on to cite practices that may amount to collective punishment, such as the impact of the Gaza closures on the lives of civilians.\u00a0 The report recommends, among other things, ensuring that any use of force is compatible with international law, the immediate lifting of the blockade on Gaza and ensuring that all Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are guaranteed freedom of movement, among other rights.\u00a0 He then introduced the report of the Secretary-General on the occupied Syrian Golan (document\u00a0A\/74\/192<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Interactive Dialogue<\/u><\/p>\n

An observer for the\u00a0State of Palestine<\/u>\u00a0said Israel\u2019s non-cooperation with the Special Committee and other Â鶹APP mandate holders violates its obligations as a Member State and calls into question what the occupying Power is trying to hide from the international community.\u00a0 Indeed, Israeli officials brag about barring entry to mandate holders and deporting human rights activists, she added.\u00a0 Noting the high number of Palestinian civilian casualties, she said that in the 189\u00a0fatalities investigated during the reporting period, the use of live ammunition by Israeli occupying forces was unlawful in all but two cases.\u00a0 Could the Assistant Secretary-General share more detailed reflections on the profound impact of the occupation on children?<\/p>\n

The Assistant Secretary-General emphasized that, although Palestinian children should not be encouraged to put themselves in harm\u2019s way as a form of protest, there is no justification for Israeli forces targeting children. \u00a0\u201cIt is impossible in a way to avoid thinking that if the aim of such actions was to make absolutely certain that the next generation of Palestinians would grow up profoundly radicalized, and full of hatred for the people carrying out these actions, then one would think that the best way to turn that aim into reality would be to treat Palestinian families \u2014 adults and children \u2014 exactly the way they are being treated now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

General Debate<\/u><\/p>\n

FEDA ABDELHADY-NASSER, observer for the\u00a0State of Palestine<\/u>, highlighted the killing and injury of Palestinian civilians by occupying forces in military raids across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as operations in the Gaza Strip, pointing to an extrajudicial assassination and military aggression on 12\u00a0November.\u00a0 Noting that 21\u00a0Palestinians have been killed only in the past 24\u00a0hours, she said casualties continue to mount due to Israel\u2019s wanton firing of live ammunition upon civilians participating in the Great March of Return.\u00a0 In that context, she reported that more than 310\u00a0Palestinians \u2014 including 40\u00a0children \u2011 were killed and over 34,000\u00a0civilians injured since the protests began.<\/p>\n

Concerning settlement activity, she said more than 15,800\u00a0units were advanced in\u00a02018 and that 8,300\u00a0have been advanced thus far in\u00a02019, with 2,000\u00a0more units announced last week.\u00a0 That illegal colonization and annexation campaign is a key driver of violations, she emphasized, adding that it causes forced dispossession and the displacement of thousands, including refugees enduring repeated trauma.\u00a0 She went on to highlight the 12-year-old land, sea and air blockade and mass punishment of 2\u00a0million Palestinians in Gaza, noting that the blockade obstructs the enclave\u2019s socioeconomic recovery and has pushed its health, water and sanitation systems to near-collapse.<\/p>\n

Citing the Â鶹APP country team\u2019s prediction that Gaza will be uninhabitable by\u00a02020, she pointed to the arrest and imprisonment of thousands of Palestinians, noting that 460\u00a0civilians are held without charge under administrative detention.\u00a0 Moreover, 210\u00a0children, some as young as eight years of age, are held captive in prisons or under house arrest, she said.\u00a0 Constant provocations, incitement, incursions and assaults against holy sites \u2014 including Al-Haram Al-Sharif \u2014 by Israeli occupying forces and extremists violate the sanctity of those sites and risk igniting a religious conflagration, she warned.\u00a0 The occupation also places restrictions on movement, enforced by hundreds of military checkpoints, and an arbitrary permit regime that obstructs humanitarian access, and even confiscates and destroys humanitarian assistance she said.\u00a0 She went on to warn further that international inaction, coupled with ongoing appeasement, has led Israel to assume that it will never be held responsible for its crimes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has fuelled its belief that it can continue to act with impunity, as a State above the law, going so far as to openly declare its plans to annex our land,\u201d she continued.\u00a0 Citing a statement by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since\u00a01967, she said with that announcement by Israel, the patina of temporary occupation has come to an end.\u00a0 The international community\u2019s failure to ensure accountability has obviously prolonged the conflict, she reiterated, stressing that inaction has also undermined prospects for a two-State solution and accelerated efforts to replace it with an apartheid State.\u00a0 As such, she called for immediate action against Israel, in accordance with international legal obligations, urging the mobilization of all legitimate political and legal tools and measures, including sanctions and prosecution for war crimes.\u00a0 She also called for the release of the database on businesses engaged in activities related to illegal settlements.\u00a0 Moreover, she urged the rejection of all measures to promote Israel\u2019s annexation of Occupied East Jerusalem, including attempts to replace education and health services provided by the Â鶹APP Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East\u00a0(UNRWA).<\/p>\n

NAHIDA BAGHIROVA (Azerbaijan<\/u>), speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, expressed deep regret that the Special Committee\u2019s inquiries still yield negative results.\u00a0 Reiterating the Movement\u2019s deep concern that Israel refuses to recognize or cooperate with the Special Committee, she condemned that country\u2019s settlement activities, saying they remain the source of many human rights violations and threaten the two-State formula.\u00a0 \u201cIt is high time to end this illegal Israeli occupation,\u201d she said, calling for an immediate end to Israel\u2019s de facto annexation of Occupied East Jerusalem and its threats to annex more Palestinian territory.\u00a0 Israel must also end its illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip, promptly and without conditions, she said, adding that the international community must extend strong support to UNRWA.\u00a0 He went on to warn that the transfer of Israeli settlers and other illegal settlement activities violate the inalienable right of Palestinians to self-determination, calling upon the international community \u2014 particularly the Security Council \u2014 to ensure accountability and a cessation of violations by the occupying Power.\u00a0 \u201cIsrael must comply with its obligations and responsibilities under international law,\u201d he stressed.\u00a0 Turning to the Syrian Golan, he reaffirmed that Israel\u2019s unlawful actions since\u00a01967 constitute a clear violation of international law, the Charter of the Â鶹APP, the 1949\u00a0Fourth Geneva Convention and Security Council resolutions.\u00a0 She went on to call upon the Security Council to condemn the provocative recognition by the United States of Israel\u2019s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.<\/p>\n

ABDALLAH Y. AL-MOUALLIMI (Saudi Arabia<\/u>), speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, stressed that illegal actions against Palestinians by the occupying Power demonstrate the scope of Israel\u2019s crimes in violation of international law.\u00a0 Calling upon the international community to ensure accountability, he said the Palestinian cause is of enormous importance for all Arab actions, both international or regional.\u00a0 Israeli forces continue to undermine the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, continuing its use of disproportionate and arbitrary force and making no distinction among women, children or elderly, he noted.\u00a0 However, the international community remains silent, particularly the Security Council, he noted, emphasizing that any action by Israel to forcibly remove Palestinians from their homes, build settlements, confiscate territory or declare Jerusalem Israel\u2019s capital are null and void since they are not based on law, custom or international ethics.\u00a0 Al Quds is an integral part of Palestinian territory and the eternal capital of a Palestinian State, he said, stressing that Israel\u2019s continuing efforts to change facts on the ground and impose its settlement plan undermines any chance for a two-State solution.\u00a0 He went on to condemn the blockade on Gaza while rejecting all Israeli activities to annex the occupied Syrian Golan, impose its authority and to create alternate facts on the ground.<\/p>\n

ANDREA PONTIROL,\u00a0European Union<\/u>\u00a0delegation, reaffirmed support for a two-State solution that ends the occupation and fulfils the aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians.\u00a0 In accordance with international law and Security Council resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016), the European Union remains strongly opposed to Israel\u2019s settlement policy and actions and will not recognize any changes to the pre-1967 borders other than those agreed by the parties, he added.\u00a0 Expressing grave concern over the volatile political and humanitarian situation in Gaza, he said that restoring a political horizon for peace is essential to reducing violence and containing extremism.\u00a0 Israel must respect the fundamental right to peaceful protest and Hamas must ensure that protests remain strictly non-violent, he emphasized.\u00a0 Meanwhile, the European Union urges President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority to set a date for the recently-announced elections in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, she said, while calling upon all Palestinian factions to commit unequivocally to democratic principles.<\/p>\n

KIM IN CHOL (Democratic People\u2019s Republic of Korea<\/u>) said the Palestine issue is increasingly aggravated by Israel \u2014 \u201cthe cancer of Middle East peace\u201d \u2014 thereby triggering the indignation of the international community.\u00a0 Citing the \u201cgangster-like\u201d law seeking to make Jerusalem the capital of Israel, he also described the plot to Judaize and annex the city.\u00a0 In another unprecedented act, he added, Israel intruded into a mosque during a Muslim holiday and seeks to transform Islamic ceremonies into Jewish rituals, he said.\u00a0 Condemning Israel\u2019s expansion of settlements and eviction of Palestinians from their homes, he noted that \u201csuch inhumane outrages arouse vehement resentment of the international community\u201d.\u00a0 The status of Jerusalem should be addressed fairly by restoring the Palestinian people\u2019s right to self-determination, he said, adding that Israel must discontinue its settlement activities, in accordance with Security Council resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016).\u00a0 Meanwhile, the Special Committee should recommend that the Security Council strictly investigate the Israeli occupation and accordingly take strict legal measures, he said.<\/p>\n

ATSUSHI MORITA (Japan<\/u>) expressed support for a two-state solution while condemning Israel\u2019s continuing settlement activities as well as the demolition of Palestinian-owned structures.\u00a0 He further expressed deep concern over continuing violence in Gaza and the West Bank as well as casualties among both Israelis and Palestinians, calling upon both to take immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence.\u00a0 Japan firmly believes that the issues Israel and Palestine face cannot be resolved through violence, but only by efforts on both sides to build mutual trust, he said, stressing that the launching of indiscriminate rockets from Gaza into Israel contravene such efforts.<\/p>\n

ABDUL RAHMAN AL-JARBA (Qatar<\/u>) reiterated that the settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are illegal, constituting a hurdle to a two-State solution.\u00a0 Citing reports of excessive use of force by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, he also pointed to the detention and ill-treatment of children, violations of due process and restrictions on freedom of movement, assembly and expression.\u00a0 Violations also include attacks against human rights defenders, he added.\u00a0 The ongoing blockade of Gaza renders the enclave an \u201copen prison\u201d, he said, describing the denial of permits and other actions as punitive measures that are tantamount to collective punishment.\u00a0 A lasting and just solution requires serious negotiations between the two sides on the basis of agreed terms of references and the Arab Peace Initiative, he emphasized.<\/p>\n

THILMEEZA HUSSAIN (Maldives<\/u>) noted that while most people encounter stories of young Palestinians being detained, injured and killed by Israeli security forces or settlers on the news, that is the daily lived reality of two million children in Palestine.\u00a0 \u201cThis is deplorable and unacceptable,\u201d she said, emphasizing that the international community must protect their rights as it celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.\u00a0 Israel\u2019s national policies \u201cblatantly and consistently violate international law and constitute a system of discrimination which has negatively affected generations,\u201d she said, going on to characterize the blockade on Gaza as the \u201ccollective punishment\u201d of 1.9\u00a0million people, with its \u201cdraconian limitations on the movement of persons and goods, including humanitarian items\u201d.\u00a0 The growing number of illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and the destruction of Palestinian homes and properties \u201cwill not create peace\u201d, she said, adding that, instead, it will perpetuate poverty and increase the suffering of Palestinians.\u00a0 She went on to reiterate her country\u2019s support for Palestine \u201cin seeking the international community\u2019s political recognition that it deserves, and for Palestine to become a full member of the Â鶹APP\u201d.<\/p>\n

BASHAR ALDUWAISAN (Kuwait<\/u>), noting that Israel continues to violate international law, as per the report, said that such violations amount to crimes in violation of international law while the Security Council remains passive.\u00a0 Expressing concern over Israel\u2019s policies and unilateral measures aimed at changing realities on the ground, he said Kuwait supports the State of Palestine\u2019s request to revive the Middle East Quartet under Â鶹APP auspices.\u00a0 He went on to call upon the international community to take all measures necessary to guarantee Israel\u2019s compliance in the investigation of its excessive use of force that led to the deaths of protestors in East Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank.\u00a0 Kuwait calls for the lifting of the Gaza blockade and reiterates that East Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, he emphasized.<\/p>\n

XOLISA MFUNDISO MABHONGO (South Africa<\/u>), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement, said the failure of the Â鶹APP to uphold its commitment to human dignity and the rights of the Palestinian people constitute a normalization of the occupation, the violation of human rights and disdain for international law.\u00a0 Recalling that South Africa liberated itself from apartheid because the international community refused to accept the existence of an overtly racist government in modern times, he pointed out the lack of similar indignation vis-\u00e0-vis the Palestinian people\u2019s plight.\u00a0 He emphasized that the situation on the ground cannot be allowed to continue, encouraging all Member States to steer the two sides towards a lasting solution.\u00a0 He went on to call upon the Israel authorities to fully implement the Â鶹APP Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners \u2014 also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules \u2014 as well as the Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners.<\/p>\n

FATIMA ALMEMARI (United Arab Emirates<\/u>), associating herself with the Arab Group, said her delegation supports an independent Palestinian State alongside Israel based on the pre-June 1967\u00a0borders.\u00a0 Expressing concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially in Gaza, she said the United Arab Emirates is also worried about extremists gaining a foothold in the region.\u00a0 Israel must stop building and expanding settlements and confiscating land, she said, urging that country to implement the relevant Â鶹APP resolutions.\u00a0 Credible negotiations on final-status issues should begin immediately, she added.\u00a0 She went on to state that the United Arab Emirates has provided more than $630\u00a0million in recent years to support development in Palestine in the areas of health and education, among others.<\/p>\n

MOHANNAD ADNAN MOUSA SHADDAD (Jordan<\/u>) said he looks forward to the day when the Palestinian issue is no longer on the Â鶹APP agenda.\u00a0 Calling for a two-State solution within the pre-1967\u00a0borders and with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, he said the Palestinians have suffered a historic injustice and the international community must form a movement to end their dire plight.\u00a0 Emphasizing his country\u2019s commitment to peace and stability in the region, he said the world has an unprecedented opportunity to attain peace and Israel must seize that chance before it is too late.\u00a0 Warning that annexing the Golan or the Jordan Valley will deliver fatal blows to a two-State solution, he stressed that aggression against Gaza will not bring peace.<\/p>\n

AUDREY GANTANA (Namibia<\/u>), associating herself with the Non-Aligned Movement, described the Special Committee\u2019s report as an unsettling reminder of the never-ending human rights violations committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, as well as the Occupied Syrian Golan.\u00a0 One of the report\u2019s key findings is that the settlements are a key driver of human rights violations, she noted, emphasizing that no amount of humanitarian or economic support can substitute for a negotiated two-State solution.\u00a0 Welcoming the increase in energy supply to households in Gaza and Israel\u2019s easing of import and export restrictions, he pointed out, however, that Gaza\u2019s health system remains on the brink of collapse, adding that the volatile environment in which Palestinians continue to labour are unsustainable.<\/p>\n

YAARB AHMED NASER AL-TEMEMY (Iraq<\/u>) said that Israel\u2019s ongoing and systematic violations of international law against Palestinian civilians have an ongoing detrimental impact on the population and only aggravate the crisis.\u00a0 Citing the excessive use of force and settlement activities, he said Iraq also opposes the continuing occupation of the Syrian Golan notwithstanding relevant Security Council resolutions.\u00a0 Urging the international community to exert pressure to make Israel cease its illegal activities and Israel to grant the Special Committee access to the occupied territories in order to carry out its work, he condemned attacks against Palestinians, the demolition of homes, schools and service establishments, the closure of roads, confiscation of properties and other violations.<\/p>\n

HUMBERTO RIVERO ROSARIO (Cuba<\/u>), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement, said the reports presented are discouraging and reveal Israel\u2019s continued attempts to annex Palestinian territory.\u00a0 Describing settlements as a key factor of civil rights violations, he said Israel\u2019s policies amount to colonization and collective punishment.\u00a0 He went on to note Israel\u2019s attempts to impose its laws on the West Bank and emphasized the serious humanitarian situation in Gaza, where half the population is composed of children.\u00a0 Condemning Israel\u2019s attempts to change the status of Palestine refugees and their right of return, he questioned the decision by the Â鶹APP not to extend the mandate of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron.\u00a0 He went on to describe the decision by the President of the United States to recognize Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital as unilateral and a flagrant violation of international law and norms, emphasizing that any action that Israel has taken to change the demographics of the Syrian Golan are null.\u00a0 Cuba also rejects the decision by the United States to recognize the Syrian Golan as part of Israel, he said, warning that grave consequences will result from such actions by Washington.<\/p>\n

NUR FARAHANAH HJ SARBINI (Brunei Darussalam<\/u>), associating herself with the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, called upon the occupying Power to cease the construction of illegal settlements, other violations and unfair practices against Palestinians, to comply fully with and respect international law and to end its occupation of the Palestinian territory.\u00a0 She went on to emphasize the need for dialogue conducive to a negotiated peace settlement based on a two-State solution, with a Palestinian State within the pre-1967\u00a0borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.\u00a0 Like all peoples, Palestinians have dreams and hopes, yet they are hindered by the illegal practices of the occupying Power, she said, stressing the moral and legal obligation of the Â鶹APP to enforce Palestinian rights and to ensure accountability for actions contravening international law.\u00a0 Underlining that Palestinian question is the very essence of the situation in the Middle East, she said the Government of Brunei Darussalam supports efforts towards full Â鶹APP membership for the State of Palestine.<\/p>\n

ALIAA ALI (Syria<\/u>), associating herself with the Non-Aligned Movement, said the Fourth Committee has played a welcome role over the past 52\u00a0years since Israel\u2019s occupation began.\u00a0 However, the international community is beginning to ignore the occupation and Israel\u2019s human rights violations, he added, noting that it makes use of \u201cmassacre and murder\u201d.\u00a0 After all the decades, now is the time for the Â鶹APP to end the occupation, she said.\u00a0 Noting that Israel has attempted to impose control over the Golan since\u00a01981, he recalled that it tried to organize elections, but its attempts have failed.\u00a0 She went on to note that Israel deprives the Golan\u2019s people of their right to unify with Syria, denies their legitimate right to resistance, destroys their homes, violates their right to education under the Syrian curriculum, confiscates their agricultural land to build settlements and toxic waste dumps, and loots resources such as gas, oil and water.\u00a0 She went on to condemn the decision by the President of the United States to recognize Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n

For information media. Not an official record.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SEVENTY-FOURTH SESSION,\u00a023RD MEETING (PM) GA\/SPD\/711 13 NOVEMBER 2019 Fran\u00e7ais Secretary-General\u2019s Reports Details Plight of Children in Detention, Occupation\u2019s Profound Effects on Daily Life Speakers decried Israel\u2019s excessive use of force during peaceful demonstrations today, citing more than 100\u00a0deaths and thousands of injuries, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) began its general debate on […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"template-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[684,5308,780,5690,5825,891,897,906,909,921,963,1005,1593,1062,1098,1128,1137,2241,1197],"document-category":[2433,1329],"document-source":[5618],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[2033,1861,2005,2237,1741,1745,2137],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6542,6541],"class_list":["post-224837","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","country-azerbaijan","country-brunei-darussalam","country-cuba","country-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea","country-democratic-yemen","country-iraq","country-israel","country-japan","country-jordan","country-kuwait","country-maldives","country-namibia","country-palestine-state-of","country-qatar","country-saudi-arabia","country-south-africa","country-sri-lanka","country-syria","country-united-arab-emirates","document-category-french-text","document-category-press-release","document-source-general-assembly-fourth-committee-special-political-and-decolonization","document-subject-children","document-subject-fourth-geneva-convention","document-subject-gaza-strip","document-subject-golan-heights","document-subject-human-rights-and-international-humanitarian-law","document-subject-refugees-and-displaced-persons","document-subject-settlements","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-english","document-language-french"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/224837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/224837\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=224837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=224837"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=224837"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=224837"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=224837"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=224837"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=224837"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=224837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}