Interactive Dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Including East Jerusalem and Israel
19 June 2024
The Commission’s reports highlight the severity of the crimes committed in Israel and Palestine and the urgent need for international action to end violations against civilians. More than a million people are displaced from Rafah, most of them displaced multiple times before, with no safe place to go. People in Gaza have told us that the dead are the lucky ones, because the wounded suffer so acutely due to the Israeli authorities’ blockade of lifesaving aid.
Palestinian armed groups continue to fire rockets indiscriminately towards Israeli communities and unlawfully hold civilian hostages, who should be released unconditionally. In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, OCHA has described an unprecedented surge of settler violence, administrative detention, and unlawful killings.
UN member states should do more to prevent further atrocities. No more civilians should be killed or wounded by unlawful attacks, die from malnutrition and dehydration, and be deprived of access to medical care. Countries supplying weapons used or intelligence used for targeting in violation of international law, should pull the plug and avoid complicity in grave abuses.
The ongoing catastrophe for civilians shows the cost of the international community’s failure to address the root causes of suffering in the region. Victims of serious abuses in Israel and Palestine, including the crimes of apartheid and persecution against the Palestinian people, have faced a wall of impunity for decades. Strong support for impartial and independent justice mechanisms is crucial to accountability for serious crimes by all parties. States should speak out in support of the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, act to ensure compliance with their orders, and stand against attempts to obstruct the course of justice.
