Three members Mission is pushing the matter to be referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest court of the United Nations.
They emphasized that under international humanitarian law, the occupation of territory in wartime is a temporary situation and not deprive occupation power of the state or its sovereignty.
A core principle of the United Nations
“Recent statements by the Secretary-General and by many Member States have made it clear that any attempt to unilaterally annex the territory of a State by another State is a violation of international law and is unjustifiable. brand; 143 Member States including Israel, last week, voted in favor of the General Assembly resolution reaffirming this,” said Commission Chairman Navi Pillay.
“Unless widely applied, including to the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, this core principle of the UN Charter will be meaningless,” she added.
The Committee has called on the UN General Assembly to request an Urgent Advisory Opinion from the ICJ on the legal consequences of occupation.
Researched ‘enterprise’ deal
For their report, the Trustees reviewed the policies and actions that Israel used to maintain its occupation and annex parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
They focus on how Israel maintains and enhances its “settlement business,” including statements by Israeli officials that indicate an intention to maintain permanent control of the land in violation of the law. international.
The Committee concluded that by continuing to occupy the territory by force, Israel bears its international responsibilities and still be held responsible for violations rights of the Palestinian people, both individually and as a people.
“By ignoring international law in establishing or facilitating the establishment of settlements, and directly or indirectly transferring Israeli civilians to these settlements, the Successive Israeli governments have put in place practices to ensure long-term Israeli control of the West Bank.
Restrictive policies on land
The committee also examined Israel’s expropriation and exploitation of land and natural resources, as well as its restrictive urban zoning and planning policies in the West Bank.
The report shows that land is often confiscated for military purposes but later used to build settlements.
The committee considered statements by Israeli officials indicating that Palestinian construction activity was seen as an obstacle to settlements, requiring actions such as confiscation, demolition and relocation.
Similar processes are witnessed in East Jerusalem, where limited zoning and zoning has contributed to shrinking space for Palestinians.
‘Silent damage’ and trauma
The report also addresses Israeli Government policies that have impacted all aspects of Palestinian life, such as access to clean and affordable water.
“There is a lot of ‘silent harm’ and psychological trauma, which may not be immediately apparent, due to the erosion of economic, social and cultural rights. Commissioner Miloon Kothari said.
The Commission also examined how the profession and in fact annexation policies have affected the human rights of Palestinians, as well as the effects on Palestinian women and children.
The report said the “coercive environment” that forced Palestinians to leave their homes divided Palestinian society and hindered the right to self-determination.
Mandatory international action
The report ends by saying that certain Israeli government policies and actions may constitute “elements” of crimes under international criminal law, including war criminals transferring part of their own civilians. into occupied territory.
“The actions of the Government of Israel considered in our report constitute an illegal occupation and annexation regime that needs to be addressed,” said Commissioner Chris Sidoti.
“The international system and individual States must act and comply with their obligations under international law. That must begin at this session of the General Assembly with an introduction to International Court of Justice. “
About the Investigative Committee
Independent International Commission of Inquiry into Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem and Israel, receives its mandate from the United Nations Dong Nhan Quyen Association.
The Trustees are not employees of the United Nations and they are not paid for their work.
They will present their report to the UN General Assembly on 27 October.
