The UN Human Rights Council convened a special session on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), which has seen a serious escalation of violence in recent weeks, resulting in the deaths of over 800 Palestinians and at least 34 Israelis.
The session was opened by statements by Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Kyung-wha Kang, from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; and Lance Bartholomeusz, from the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
Ms Pillay condemned both sides of the conflict, which is the third serious escalation of hostilities in the last six years:
As we speak, the indiscriminate firing by Hamas and other armed groups of more than 2,900 rockets, as well as mortars, from Gaza continues to endanger the lives of civilians in Israel. I have repeatedly condemned such indiscriminate attacks in the past. I do so again today. I further emphasise that it is unacceptable to locate military assets in densely populated areas or to launch attacks from such areas. However, international law is clear: the actions of one party do not absolve the other party of the need to respect its obligations under international law ...
I unequivocally reiterate to all actors in this conflict that civilians must not be targeted. It is imperative that Israel, Hamas and all Palestinian armed groups strictly abide by applicable norms of international humanitarian law and international human rights law ... Respect for the right to life of civilians, including children, should be a foremost consideration. Not abiding by these principles may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Kyung-wha Kang stated that over 73 per cent of Palestinians killed were civilians, according to preliminary UN estimates, and called for a humanitarian ceasefire.
Lance Bartholomeusz said that 118,000 Gazans - over five per cent of the total population - had sought refuge in 17 UNRWA facilities, one of which was shelled yesterday, leading to the deaths of UN staff as well as civilians.
Makarim Wibisono, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, read out a statement on behalf of a group of independent UN human rights experts, which said "we urge the international community and the Security Council to do all they can to explore avenues to foster an effective peace process that will address the causes of this conflict".
The special session concluded with the passing of a resolution mandating an independent, international commission of inquiry to investigate all violations of humanitarian and human rights law in the OPT in the context of military operations conducted since 13 June 2014. The inquiry is to report back to the Council in March 2015.
The resolution was passed with 29 votes in favour, with many countries stating that lifting the Gaza blockade was essential to achieving a sustainable solution. The United States voted against the resolution and 17 countries abstained, including the United Kingdom and all other members of the European Union.
Speaking on behalf of the EU, Italy said that the final draft of the text was unbalanced and prejudged the findings of the inquiry, noting that a united Council position would have been a far better outcome.
If you are concerned about the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory and wish to hear more about the UN's work in the region, please contact the UN Regional Information Centre, which fields public enquiries for Western Europe.
Photo: Woman in Gaza / © WILPF.
