HRC58: General debate under Agenda Item 7
The 58th Session of the Human Rights Council
24 February - 4 April 2025
Item 7: Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories
26 March 2025
By Prishika Adhira Bhoyroo/GICJ
Executive Summary
On 26 March 2025, during the 58th Session of the Human Rights Council, delegates and country representatives assembled to discuss the High Commissioner’s report on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan, submitted under Human Rights Council resolution 55/32 (A/HRC/RES/55/32)[1] as well as the report of the Secretary-General on Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan, submitted under Human Rights Council resolution 55/31 (A/HRC/RES/55/31)[2].
The High Commissioner’s report highlights a vicious pattern of ongoing settlement expansion that directly undermines Palestinians and Syrians of their basic human rights. It details how violence, restrictions, and economic targeting undermine Palestinian livelihoods, creating a coercive environment that may constitute forcible transfer. Accordingly, the Secretary General’s (SG) report summarises the responses received to a request for the implementation of resolution 55/31.
The discussion emphasised the devastating impacts of violence and restrictions on Palestinian livelihoods, with a particular focus on the concerning expansion of settlements, forced displacement, and restrictions on Palestinian movement. In this light, delegates from participating states heightened the need for the international community to take action against the grave human rights violations in Palestine and the occupied Syrian Golan.
Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) endorses the HC’s and SG’s reports and highlights with regret the deplorable human rights situation in Palestine and the occupied Syrian Golan. In this light, GICJ urges the United Nations as well as the international community to take concrete steps to address the grave human rights violations in the mentioned occupied territories and calls for increased accountability for settler violence and illegal occupation, soliciting stakeholders across the world to pursue legal mechanisms to hold the perpetrators responsible.
Background
For decades, the illegal Israeli settlements have been a persistent issue that can be traced back to the 1967 Six-Day War, during which Israel occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, and the Syrian Golan Heights. To this day, the illegal Israeli settlement activities have not only prevailed but also increased exponentially. This, in turn, has significantly denied Palestinians their right to self-determination and has increased tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, likewise between Israel and Syria.
Ms. Maarit Kohonen Sheriff, Director of the Global Operations Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, opened the discussion by reminding the Council that the ongoing transfer of powers over the Occupied Palestinian Territory from the Israeli military to the Israeli Government facilitates the continuing illegal advancement of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the steady integration of the occupied West Bank into the State of Israel. Taking advantage of this situation, Israeli settlers have reached an alarming number of approximately 737,000 in the West Bank, almost a third of them in East Jerusalem alone.
Summary of the High Commissioner's Report
The HC’S report (A/HRC/58/73 )[3] titled “Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan” details the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan, covering 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2024. The present report draws on direct monitoring and data collected by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) within the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), as well as information from government bodies, UN agencies, and non-governmental organisations.
Whilst the report documents an update on the unlawful Israeli settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan, it particularly focuses on the unlawful advancement of Israeli settlements in the OPT and their impact on the rights of Palestinians. Notably, Israel’s transfer of administrative powers in the West Bank from military to civilian control is accelerating the following illegal processes: the expansion of Israeli settlements and the forced displacement of Palestinians. This transfer facilitates the movement of Israeli civilians into occupied territory while simultaneously creating conditions that compel Palestinians to leave, both of which are serious breaches of international law.
The findings highlight a significant increase in settlement construction, with plans for new housing units and the establishment of numerous outposts. As a result, this expansion has led to the demolition of Palestinian homes and the displacement of thousands, and the appropriation of Palestinian land through various legal mechanisms.
Moreover, the HC’s report brings to light the drastic increase in settler violence, with an alarming number of incidents resulting in Palestinian casualties and property damage. This violence, combined with movement restrictions and economic targeting, has devastated Palestinian livelihoods, particularly in the olive farming sector, and created a coercive environment that may amount to forcible transfer, a crime under international law.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has determined that Israel’s policies constitute annexation and violate the international prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid. Based on this, the report emphasises the institutional and legal framework of discrimination and oppression that facilitates settlement expansion. The report concludes with a strong call for Israel to immediately cease all settlement activity, evacuate existing settlements, and provide reparations for the damage caused, urging the international community to take action to uphold international law and protect Palestinian and Syrian human rights.
Key Recommendations
The High Commissioner made the following recommendations to the Israeli authorities:
- to instantly and completely cease and reverse the establishment and expansion of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions, including Security Council resolutions 497 (1981) and 2334 (2016);
- to evacuate all Israeli settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
- to promptly put an end to its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
- to cease the appropriation of land in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and return it to its previous inhabitants;
- to discontinue all forced evictions, house demolitions, and the reallocation of land to Israeli settlements;
- to revoke the policy of exploiting the natural resources of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and diverting them to the population of Israel, including settlers;
- to prevent and accordingly punish attacks by settlers against the life or bodily integrity of Palestinians and against their property;
- to preserve the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, including by ceasing internationally wrongful acts and making reparations for such acts; and
- to cease all discriminatory practices that violate international human rights law, including breaches of Article 3 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Summary of the Secretary-General Report
The SG’s report, “Human Rights in the Occupied Syrian Golan (A/HRC/58/72)” [4], provides an insight into the ongoing impact of the Israeli occupation on the human rights situation in the occupied Syrian Golan. It details the stance of some of the states across the globe which declared Israel's annexation of the Golan to be null and void, as reflected in Security Council Resolution 497 (1981). Moreover, the SG’s report thoroughly documents the Syrian Arab Republic's stance on the ongoing Israeli violations intended to strengthen the occupation. To name a few of these threatening practices, the State of Israel:
- continues to build and expand settlement, despite international condemnation, ;
- continues the exploitation of natural resources in the occupied Golan, potentially benefiting the occupying power at the expense of the local population
- continues the illegal actions associated with the installation of the turbines in the Tall al-Faras area, in the occupied regions of Tall Sahel as well as in Mansurah, such as land confiscation, environmental and health damage, and the deliberate intent to displace residents of the targeted areas;
- imposes Israeli identity documents, pressuring Syrian residents to accept Israeli identification, which is seen as an attempt to undermine their Syrian identity; and
- aims to expand the settlement projects in the region, one of the primary objectives discussed at the Israeli Regional Strategic Economic Development Conference held in 2021 in the occupied Syrian Golan—specifically in a settlement built on the ruins of the Syrian village of Khasfin. This expansion includes both physical infrastructure and population growth, to reach half a million settlers by 2048.
Interactive Dialogue
Opening Statements
Ms. Maarit Kohonen, Director of the Global Operations Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, opened the discussion by presenting the report of the High Commissioner. She reminded the Council of the important points that have been documented in the report, particularly that the transfer of powers to the Israeli government greatly facilitates settlement growth and the integration of the West Bank into Israel. This is accompanied by the provision of services for settlers, which leads to systematic discrimination, segregation, oppression, and violence against Palestinians.
The report details the presence of approximately 737,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, with almost a third in East Jerusalem. During the reporting period, it has been noted that plans for over 20,000 new housing units in East Jerusalem settlements were advanced, and 214 Palestinian properties were demolished. In the rest of the West Bank, over 10,300 settlement units were approved, and 49 new outposts were established. The continuation of Israel’s appropriation of Palestinian land for settlements resulted in the demolition of over 1,700 Palestinian structures and the displacement of over 4,500 Palestinians.
The report equally documents how violence, movement restrictions, and the targeting of Palestinian economic, social, and cultural rights have devastated livelihoods and may amount to forcible transfer. Olive production was particularly affected by state and settler violence. There were 1,400 settler-related incidents causing casualties or property damage, with an average of 118 incidents per month, resulting in 11 Palestinian deaths and 500 injuries. Approximately 680 Palestinians were forcibly displaced by settler violence and faced access restrictions. She stated that the acts of segregation against Palestinians would amount to a situation of apartheid if no action was taken by Israel to effectively address the issues of race.
Furthermore, Ms. Maarit Kohonen Sheriff reminded the Council that the HC’s report addresses the continued Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied Syrian Golan, which is also considered a violation of international law. Restrictions on Syrian construction were also reported. The HC urges Israel to cease all settlement activity, evacuate settlers, and provide reparations.
Towards the end of the opening statement, Ms. Kohonen Sheriff stated that the SG’s report summarises responses on how the Human Rights Council resolution 55/31 of 5 April 2024 on human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan has been implemented.
Position of Countries Concerned
The representative of the State of Palestine declared that the reports of the HC and the SG bring forward updated information and their consequences on the rights of the Palestinian people. This report contains conclusions and recommendations, and all states and institutions ought to respect them and implement them to put an end to the colonial crimes that are ongoing. The delegate of Palestine noted with regret that the genocidal war in Gaza had 20,000 martyrs and injured, of whom 16,000 children were killed. He continued his statement by highlighting that there are stakeholders who are complicit in the attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and urged international allies to take appropriate measures to put an end to this genocide and implement the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice. Accordingly, the representative of Palestine called an end to the arms trade.
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The delegate of the Syrian Arab Republic opened his statement by reminding the Council that Israel has not adhered for several decades to the resolutions of the General Assembly, the Security Council, as well as the Human Rights Council. Moreover, the occupying power never stopped its illegal practices in the Arab lands and occupied Syrian Golan despite numerous international demands, but instead expanded these illegal practices, colonial and settler policies, and entrenchment of illegal annexation. The delegate highlighted the increase in the number of settlers in the occupied Syrian Golan and the repeated violations in the Arab Syrian Republic, which puts at stake its sovereignty and territorial unity. Israel continues to destabilise the region through its military actions and settler expansion. The Syrian Arab Republic insisted on the paramount importance of measures to discontinue the settler architecture, which includes dismantling trade or finance operations that support the exploitation of natural resources in the occupied Syrian Golan.
Country Statements
The delegate of Jordan called on the national community to take immediate and appropriate measures to put an end to the illegal occupation in line with the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion. The delegate noted that the Israeli violations have cost the lives of 150,000 martyrs and condemned the forced displacements of the Palestinian territory, which has resulted in ethnic cleansing policies and crimes against humanity.
The delegate of Kuwait expressed his country’s concern in regards to the resumption of military operations by the army of the occupying power in the Gaza Strip and strictly condemned the direct bombardment and raids in the civilian populated areas which have led to the displacement, murder, and starvation of approximately 50,000 martyrs. Hue thus stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire. Moreover, the delegate urged the acceptance of the Arab Egyptian plan that stemmed from the recent Arab Summit held in March 2025. Kuwait affirmed that the future of the Gaza Strip must be a part of a context where the independent and unified Palestinian state is on the borders of 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The delegate of Cuba delivered a statement on behalf of the 35 Like-Minded Group, emphasising that the like-minded countries strongly condemned the renewed attacks by Israeli occupation forces on 18 March against the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip, in flagrant violation of the ceasefire. Furthermore, they deplored policies and actions aiming at the forcible displacement of the Palestinian people from their homeland. In this light, the delegate affirmed their support for the admission of the State of Palestine as a full Member State of the United Nations, so that it can take its rightful place within the community of nations.
The representative of the delegate of Ghana, on behalf of the Group of African States (African Group), opened their joint statement by expressing their concern on the issue of the Israeli military occupation of Arab territories. They maintained that this is a situation of protracted conflict that has taken and continues to take a heavy toll on the realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of the Occupied Palestinian and Arab Territories. In a similar vein, they denounced the Israeli colonial policies, attempting to forcibly displace its residents and expressed their unequivocal rejection of any proposal or attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause through the displacement of the Palestinian people from their homeland, which constitutes a clear violation of International Law.
The delegate of Spain emphasised that over 2,000 Palestinian buildings have been demolished in the West Bank, including a significant number of buildings that were distributing humanitarian aid. Spain called for strict compliance with international law and respect for United Nations resolutions and the International Court of Justice advisory opinion, and affirmed that the only viable solution is for the two states to live together.
The representative of Brunei Darussalam thanked the HC and the SG for their reports and updates on the actions of the Occupying Power in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The representative highlighted that the absence of accountability and blanket impunity allows the Occupying Power to systematically carry out human rights violations against Palestinians. Moreover, Brunei declared that the continuing struggle for peace and freedom, likewise for the denial of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, remained at the core of the conflict in the Middle East. Brunei Darussalam firmly advocated its solidarity with the Palestinians in their struggle for peace, freedom, and inalienable rights to self-determination and reaffirmed its steadfast position for the creation of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine.
Mr. Ali Bahreini, delegate of the Islamic Republic of Iran, expressed that the grave violations of Palestinians' rights demanded urgent and decisive action. In this light, the latter affirmed that the world could no longer turn a blind eye and that justice for Palestine was a moral and legal obligation.
The representative of Ireland reiterated the country’s unreserved condemnation of the brutal 7 October attacks on Israel by Hamas and the unconscionable taking of hostages. Similarly, the latter detailed that settlement expansion and settler violence constantly continued in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Syrian Golan, with almost 40,000 people displaced, with a further 200,000 at risk. As a result, Ireland urged all parties to step back from violence and to focus on agreeing on a permanent ceasefire and a pathway to a lasting peace.
Similarly to the above States, Dr. Salma Rasheed, the permanent representative of Maldives, expressed that the situation in Gaza had reached a breaking point using starvation as a weapon of war and widespread sexual violence, rape and public shaming of Palestinian women. Women are forced to give birth in schools with no electricity or water. She affirmed that Israel has shown complete and blatant disregard for the ceasefire agreement, launching deadly airstrikes across the Gaza Strip in the holy month of Ramadan. Dr. Rasheed asserted that the expansion of the illegal settlements, the severe restrictions on movements, the destruction of Palestinian livelihoods, and the displacement of thousands of Palestinians are serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws, and war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute.
The representative of Qatar condemned the adoption of a law that allows settlers to own land and property in the West Bank and the adoption of a plan to separate 13 settlements that are illegal in the West Bank, reinforcing colonial settlement expansion. Qatar called upon the international community to take legal measures to compel the Israeli occupation to end the aggression against Palestinian civilians. Furthermore, Qatar reiterated its role in the joint remediation to end the war in Gaza and its firm position in favour of the justice of the Palestinian cause as well as the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, notably the right to self-determination.
Non-Governmental Organisations
Representatives of non-governmental organisations emphasised through their statements the illegality of the settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan. All NGOs demanded an immediate ceasefire and condemned the ongoing occupation, highlighting a range of alleged violations of international law, including restrictions on movement, land confiscation,
The different NGOs present called for accountability for the Israeli violations and demanded justice for the victims in Palestine and the occupied Syrian Golan, urging international bodies, including the International Criminal Court, to investigate and calling for an end to the prevailing impunity.
Position of the Geneva International Centre for Justice
Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) supports the reports presented by the High Commissioner and the Secretary General. GICJ strongly condemns the illegal acts committed by the occupying power on the people of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the occupied Syrian Golan. In this light, GICJ demands increased and immediate accountability for the crimes committed and urges international stakeholders to take effective actions to end Israel’s impunity and decry other states’ complicity in the genocide against Palestinians.
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[1] http://undocs.org/A/HRC/RES/55/32
[2] http://undocs.org/A/HRC/RES/55/31
