"General Debate Item 7: Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories"
Statement by: International-Lawyers.org
30 September 2020
Thank you, President.
While we are meeting here today, the widespread and systematic violations against every aspect of life of Palestinians continues. We have appealed to this Council before that these amount to genocide and must be stopped immediately.
Israel’s blockade of Gaza has left the economy and health system at the brink of collapse. On the 25th of September, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that one of Gaza’s COVID-19 testing devices has run out of operational materials, leaving its central laboratory to operate at half capacity. We therefore call upon the international community to increase pressure on Israel to allow for unhindered access of medical and testing equipment, and to grant exit from Gaza into the West Bank for medical treatment.
We welcome the agreement reached by the major Palestinian political factions to hold elections within the next 6 months. The right to vote and stand for elections is a fundamental human right that should be enjoyed by all Palestinians, regardless of their place of residence. International-Lawyers and Geneva International Centre for Justice call upon this Council to ensure the enjoyment of this right, especially for those living in East Jerusalem.
Moreover, the alleged halting of further annexation plans is deceiving the public, as de facto annexation has already happened and remains illegal under international law. We urge this Council and the international community to denounce all annexation efforts by Israel.
Thank you.
Justice, Human rights, Geneva, geneva4justice, GICJ, Geneva International Centre For Justice
