HRN has made on oral statement on Palestine for the 47th Human Rights Council Session. It was played for the session on July 9.
The statement condemns the violence by the Israeli military against Palestinian civilians and indiscriminate rocket attacks by Hamas, both of which “display tragic irresponsibility in failing to protect civilian lives and property in their use of force.” It further calls on the Israeli government to end the discriminatory treatment and dispossession of Palestinians and its blocking of humanitarian aid, and for it to respect the terms of the ceasefire.
You can watch the video as it was aired on the UN’s media site below and at the following link: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k15/k15ve4kouf?kalturaStartTime=28547
The transcript of the oral statement is written below that, and is also available here in PDF format: HRN_HRC47_OS_on_OPT_Transcript.pdf
12 July 2021
Human Rights Council 47th Session
Item 7: ID with SR on Occupied Palestinian Territory
Speaker: Saul TAKAHASHI
Transcript of Oral Statement on Occupied Palestinian Territory
Madam President,
May saw eleven days of large scale Israeli military operations against Gaza and scores of arrests targeting Palestinians in a discriminatory manner. At the root of the violence is a pattern of systemic discrimination against Palestinians, including forced displacement, apartheid conditions, discriminatory laws, widespread poverty and hunger, a water supply crisis, and an Israeli blockade that has led to a collapse in infrastructure and blocked access to vital goods.
Disproportionate use of force and air strikes in civilian territory by the Israeli government led to 227 deaths, including 64 children, and Hamas’s indiscriminate firing of rockets also led to the death of 12, including 2 children. Both series of attacks on populated areas, leading to foreseeable civilian casualties, appear to be war crimes and violate international humanitarian law, and display tragic irresponsibility in failing to protect civilian lives and property in their use of force.
Human Rights Now calls on the Israeli government to end the discriminatory treatment and dispossession of Palestinians and its blocking of humanitarian aid. We also call on Hamas to prevent indiscriminate rocket attacks.
We finally call on both the Israeli government and Hamas to respect the terms of the ceasefire and for all parties to work towards creating a lasting peace based on justice.
Thank you.