The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is calling on the UN to investigate human rights violations in occupied Palestine.
Member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), of which Qatar is a member, are calling on the United Nations to investigate human rights crimes committed during the brutal 11-day Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and the 1948 territories.
The UN Human Rights Council is set to hold a special session on the latest bombings and attacks in Palestine at the request of Pakistan, co-ordinator of the OIC, as well as the state of Palestine.
OIC nations submitted a draft on Tuesday that would establish an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate any and all human rights violations in occupied Palestine, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, since April 13.
In April, Palestinians were subjected to increasing attacks by Israeli forces who prevented Muslims from holding evening gatherings outside the Damascus Gate in the Al Aqsa mosque. Settlers also stormed the place of worship while guarded with heavy security from the Israeli police.
The investigation would also examine all underlying causes of tensions and instability, “including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity,” the draft said.
The independent team would collect and dissect evidence of human rights crimes “in order to maximise the possibility of its admissibility in legal proceedings.”
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Since May 10, Israeli air raids have destroyed fifty schools in Gaza according to Save the Children. The Qatar Red Crescent Society Office was also destroyed as was the Al Jalaa building which housed Qatar-based Al Jazeera offices, the Associated Press offices and residential units.
The Sheikh Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Artificial Limbs, Gaza’s only prosthetic and disability rehab centre, also saw significant damage after targeted attacks by Israel on the Gaza Strip. Gaza’s biggest library was also destroyed.
The indiscriminate bombardment also caused destruction to the Strip’s main Covid-19 testing centre, as well as at least 15 other hospitals and health clinics.
Over 90,000 Palestinians have now been internally displaced after 11 days of violent attacks on the besieged enclave. According to the Palestinian health ministry, which was also partially damaged, 248 Palestinians including 66 children were killed in the violence.
