Iran urges intl. community to hold Israel accountable for crimes against Palestinians

Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations said in a statement on Monday that Palestinians have long been victims of gross, systematic, and rampant violations of human rights and humanitarian law by the Tel Aviv regime.

The mission pointed to the Israeli force’s use of live ammunition against civilians as an example of crimes against humanity, denouncing the “unwavering support” of the United States for the Israeli regime’s heinous acts over the past decades.

“The dictatorial Israeli regime also violates freedom of expression by intimidating, arresting and incarcerating journalists covering human rights abuses of Palestinians,” the statement read.

The mission also referred to the desperate plight of Palestinians living in the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip, stating that a complete blockade has been in effect against residents of the coastal enclave for more than 14 years amid the apathy and silence of so-called advocates of human rights.

It noted that the brutal siege has prevented Gazans from acquiring their most basic and essential needs, and created a major obstacle that medical officials in the blockaded strip have had to face in their COVID-19 response.

The mission said the international community must hold Israel accountable for its never-ending horrific crimes, stressing that such a collective measure would possibly stop the regime from perpetrating more war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

It finally urged comprehensive restrictions to be slapped against any company that would contribute to Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian lands.

One-state reality of unequal rights

The statement came after Michael Lynk, the UN Special Rapporteur for the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, told the General Assembly that a new “imaginative and brave” playbook was needed to achieve the globally agreed goal to end the 54-year-old Israeli occupation and secure Palestine’s self-determination.

“By not imposing a meaningful cost on Israel for its endless occupation,” Lynk continued, the policies of the so-called Quartet on the Middle East – the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia – “have been contributing to the consolidation of Israeli control over the occupied Palestinian territory.”

He called on Israel to end its occupation, stressing that “the end goal must be the realization of Palestinian self‑determination.”

“The occupation is more embedded than ever. The living conditions of the Palestinians, let alone their political future, has become even more precarious. Israel’s defiance has gone almost completely unchecked. The [so-called] peace process is moribund, if not comatose, and there is no serious talk about reviving it. We are witnessing not a Palestinian state-in-the-making,” he highlighted.

Lynk explained that with 700,000 Israeli settlers, the expansion of roads and utilities connecting settlements and the persistence of settler attacks against Palestinians, the so-called two‑state solution has been replaced by what the European Union calls a “one-state reality of unequal rights” and regional rights groups refer to as apartheid.

He concluded by inviting the international community to demonstrate political determination in the application of United Nations resolutions.

Woman pledges to protect son’s grave with her life

Also on Monday, a Palestinian woman resisted Israeli troops trying to push her away from her son’s grave at al-Yusufiye Cemetery in the occupied Old City of al-Quds, as the forces sought to raze the area to build a park.

Nababta said her son died four years ago and she has been in constant suffering since then, as the Israeli forces have been “threatening to bulldoze the grave.”

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Muslim Scholars’ Association condemned on Monday Israel’s razing of the al-Yusufiye cemetery.

The association said in a statement that Israeli authorities did not respect the feelings of Muslims, warning that their Judaization bids lead to further escalation of the status quo in the occupied territories.

It urged Muslim scholars worldwide to intensify their efforts and raise awareness about the Tel Aviv regime’s Judaization attempts in al-Quds.