Geneva: The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) called upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to urgently work in cooperation with all stakeholders to apply pressure to put an immediate end to the Israeli occupations aggression against the Gaza Strip.
NHRC stressed the importance of cooperation in holding accountable Israeli war criminals.
This came during the meeting of Secretary-General of NHRC Sultan bin Hassan Al Jamali with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.
In press statement, Al Jamali told the UN High Commissioner that Israel must adhere to international law and that safe corridors for relief agencies to enter must be created, in addition to putting an immediate end to the grave violations that are happening in the West Bank, and enhancing efforts to update the list of companies building illegal settlements in the West Bank according to the Human Rights Council resolution.
He indicated that the collective goal is to unify efforts to end the Israeli aggression, ensure the provision of unconditional humanitarian aid, and address current developments.
Al Jamali expressed his hope that the High Commissioner’s speech would be in line with the seriousness of the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation, and that of several United Nations Special Rapporteurs who warned of an imminent genocide in Gaza and the widespread violations committed by the Israeli army.
He said that given the seriousness of the situation, the roles and positions of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights must be aligned with National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), regional networks, the UN Secretary-General, special rapporteurs, international mechanisms, and the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to condemn the aggression against Gaza and address concerns of genocide.
Al Jamali condemned Israel’s storming of hospitals in the Gaza Strip which he said constitutes war crime and crime against humanity under international humanitarian law.
He explained that Israel, being the occupying power, is ignoring all legal and moral standards agreed upon by humanity, despite the former being a party to international human rights conventions, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In the same context, NHRC condemned the Israeli occupations bombing of the Qatar Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza building. Al Jamali stated that the heinous, barbaric, and criminal attack is only an extension of the occupations approach of targeting civilians and humanitarian facilities, including hospitals, schools, shelters, and family homes.
Al Jamali called on all relevant UN agencies to accelerate effective deterrent actions that include an extensive investigation targeting the Israeli political and military leadership. He said that this time around, the Israeli occupation’s crimes in the Gaza Strip must serve as a turning point to support the constants of the Palestinian cause and the right of the Palestinian people to establish an internationally recognised state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
