At Human Rights Council, OIC condemns Israeli attacks on Palestinians

By Peter Kenny

GENEVA (AA) - The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Thursday condemned the recent Israeli attacks on Palestinians and the use of "deadly force" against protesters and "state-sponsored violence" by settlers.

Khalil Hashmi, Pakistan's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, addressed a special session of the 47-member Human Rights Council on behalf of the OIC to discuss the "serious human rights situation" in the occupied Palestinian territories.

"On behalf of the OIC member states that have requested the special session, we strongly condemn Israel's recent military aggression, use of lethal force against peaceful protestors, and state-sponsored settler violence against the Palestinian people," said Hashmi.

At the session, the OIC called for a special investigation into "widely reported war crimes" committed during the recent 11-day fighting that started on May 10.

"We also deplore unacceptable actions by the occupation forces including unauthorized entry into Al-Aqsa Mosque, use of force and undermining the sanctity of the places of worship during the holy month of Ramadan," said the Pakistani envoy.

"The OIC condemns the growing pace of illegal evictions and demolition of Palestinian homes and properties."

In 11 days, Hashmi noted, 277 Palestinian civilians had been killed, including 70 children and 40 women, while 8,500 are wounded and 75,000 displaced in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Pakistani envoy said that critical civilian infrastructures, such as schools, hospitals, and media outlets, were deliberately targeted and flattened by "the occupying power."

"As a result, today, the Palestinian people have limited access to water, sanitation, and health services, as they brave a deadly COVID virus and even a deadlier occupier," said Hashmi.

"There is no legal and moral equivalence between the occupier and the occupied. The OIC reaffirms its unstinted support for the legitimate struggle of Palestinian people for the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination," he added.​​​​​​​