On Tuesday, the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) released a statement on the occasion of International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The OIC joins the international community in observing the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people and underlines the urgency of realizing the inalienable right to self-determination of Palestinian people.
The Commission emphasized the need to address all systematic violations of basic human rights of the Palestinian people to dismantle the prevailing apartheid system in Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) perpetuated by arbitrary and extra-judicial killings, torture, collective punishment, abusive military court system, and home demolitions.
While the international community observes this important occasion to express solidarity with the suppressed and oppressed people of Palestine, it is time to take practical steps not just to highlight but also to end the longest-running military occupation of modern times.
Unfortunately, Palestinians continue to suffer under the Israeli occupation and face brutality and systematic violations of their basic human rights including stifling curbs on their fundamental freedoms of religion and movement. Reflecting on the ongoing human rights situation in the OPT, the Commission share the grave concerns expressed by Ms. Navanethem Pillay, Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the OPT who has termed Israeli occupation as ‘unlawful’ and displacement of Palestinians as ‘war crimes. Further, the continued draconian measures against the Palestinian prisoners and detainees in West Bank, and the long-standing embargo on Gaza has left a population of over one million in need of urgent humanitarian support, the Commission added.
While the world has just commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of violence against Women on 25th November 2022, Palestinian women and girls continue to suffer from intersectional discrimination and violence at the hands of Israeli forces and settlers due to illegal and discriminatory and arbitrary policies.
The Palestinian women and girls are subjected to intense physical and psychosocial trauma and economic hardships due to intensification of conflict, administrative detention of family members, home demolitions, confiscation of land, and routine harassment by Israeli settlers with the abetment of Israeli forces.
Indeed, the situation is getting worse every day, with escalation in Israeli violence against innocent Palestinian civilians, including undermining of their basic rights of worship and movement, especially in Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Commission reminded that the Palestinian civilians are protected persons under the Geneva Convention, Fourth Geneva Convention, and Israeli practices of demolishing Palestinian homes and property are firmly prohibited under international law.
The Commission, while reiterating its full support to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, resolved to strengthen cooperation with the UN Special Rapporteur about Human Rights in the OPT and UN Special Procedures for raising awareness.
It also urged the international human rights community to support international investigation including by the ICC, of the war crimes committed by the Israeli government to bring an end to the impunity and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for their long-standing violations against innocent Palestinians at all relevant international forums.
The Commission called upon UN, OIC Member States and international human rights community to continue to pressurize the Israeli government to : a) bring an immediate cessation of hostilities by the Israeli government; (a) immediately bring an end to settlement policy and commit to respect the right to self-determination as provided in OIC and UN Resolutions; (b) release all Palestinian prisoners who are arbitrarily detained without due process of law, particularly the older and infirm as well as women and children; (c) allow freedom of movement and bring an end to crippling embargo of the Gaza and West Bank; (d) provide regular access to the humanitarian organizations and families to access detainees and arrange alternative means for families to connect with inmates.