The UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said on Tuesday
that the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory has become “disastrous”, with severe
infringements occurring effecting some four million
people.
“This clearly also has damaging impact on prospects for peace and
sustainable development for Israel, as well as the surrounding
region”, she argued.
Ms. Bachelet was briefing the UN Committee on the Exercise of
the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, in
Geneva.
She argued that, “no matter how long the road has
been, ‘never-ending’ cannot be an acceptable
description for any situation in which human rights are violated
and abused.”
“Only an end to the occupation can bring about lasting peace and
establish the conditions in which the human rights of all can be
fully respected”, she added.
Situation in Gaza
In May of this year, there was the most significant
escalation in hostilities since 2014, resulting in
the killing of 261 Palestinians including 67
children. The High Commissioner
Office (OHCHR) determined
that 130 of those killed were civilians.
At the time, the Human Rights
Council decided to establish an independent,
international commission of inquiry. Its first report should
be presented in June of next year.
For Ms. Bachelet, the people of Gaza also continue to
suffer from a 15-year land, sea and air blockade implemented
by Israel, with vital infrastructure
crumbling and a decaying sewer system.
“Severe movement restrictions and obstructions to people's access
to essential goods and services, including specialised
healthcare, generate immense suffering”, she said.
She also noted that reconstruction and recovery efforts are
ongoing, the fragile cessation of hostilities continues to hold,
and some goods have been gradually allowed to enter
Gaza.
Humanitarian conditions, however, “remain deeply
concerning.”
Civic freedoms
On 19 October, Israel designated six Palestinian civil society
organizations as "terrorist organizations" under Israel's
Counter-Terrorism Law of 2016.
On 7 November, they were also declared unlawful in the occupied
territory under the Emergency (Defence) Regulations of
1945.
According to Ms. Bachelet, these decisions “appear to
have been based on vague or unsubstantiated reasons, including
claims related to legitimate and entirely peaceful human rights
activities.”
All six organisations have worked with the international
community, including the UN, for decades.
For the High Commissioner, claims of links to
terrorism are “extremely serious”, but “without
adequate substantive evidence, these decisions appear arbitrary,
and further erode the civic and humanitarian space in the
occupied Palestinian territory.”
“They can therefore legitimately be viewed as an attack on human
rights defenders, on the rights to freedoms of association,
opinion and expression, and on the right to public
participation”, she argued.
Since June 2021, OHCHR has also documented
cases of assaults of journalists and human rights defenders, as
well as intimidation, gender-based violence and
harassment, excessive use of
force, arbitrary arrests and
censorship.
Killings and injuries
Ms. Bachelet told the Committee that
her concerns “continue to deepen about the
numerous killings and injuries” of Palestinians by Israeli
forces, as well as, increasingly, by armed settlers.
She is particularly alarmed at recurring incidents of
excessive use of force leading to the death and injury of
Palestinian children. This year, Israeli forces have killed 16
children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Calling for investigations and accountability, she noted that
“the chronic impunity” has been repeatedly raised in reports
by the Secretary-General and herself.
She said that settler-related violence against
Palestinians, stood now at “alarmingly high
levels”.
In the past year, there have been 490 incidents resulting in
deaths, injury and/or significant property
damage, the highest incidence of settler violence
ever recorded by the United Nations. Currently, it
represents an average of almost one incident of settler violence
each day.
Children the most affected
For the High Commissioner, children continued to suffer
disproportionate impact from the recurring cycles of
military escalation and associated deprivation.
Reports by UN partners indicate that 75 per cent of all children
in Gaza are in need of mental health and psycho-social
support, as well as other services.
Currently, 160 Palestinian children are detained by Israel, some
of them without charge, under administrative detention
regulations.
Under international law, administrative detention is permitted
only in exceptional circumstances. For Ms. Bachelet, “this
is not the case in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
today.”
She concluded saying that her
Office (OHCHR) also continues to
receive “disturbing” reports of the ill-treatment of
children during their arrest,
transfer, interrogation and detention by Israeli
authorities.
