GENEVA, May 26, 2021 — Ahead of tomorrow’s special meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on “the grave human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” convened by the PLO and Pakistan for the Muslim states, UN Watch submitted an official written statement to the UN documenting Hamas’ aggression and double war crimes, which will be distributed to country delegations.
“By targeting Israeli civilians and using its own civilians as human shields, Hamas rocket fire constitutes a double war crime,” wrote UN Watch, an independent non-governmental human rights group based in Geneva.
“Hamas’ indiscriminate rocket-fire killed 13 Israelis, injured hundreds, terrorized millions and caused millions of dollars in property damage. Hamas rockets that fell short in Gaza also killed at least 16 Gaza civilians, including eight children. Hamas operated from densely populated urban areas—within or near residences, schools, hospitals and mosques, putting lives at risk,” said the statement.
“In contrast to Hamas’s cynical exploitation of civilians, the Israel Defense Forces takes great care—even beyond what is required by law—to avoid civilian casualties. The IDF’s International Law Department directly supervises all aerial attacks, from choice of target to closely advising planners and commanders as the strike is executed.” (Read full statement here)
Comment by UN Watch’s Hillel Neuer
UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer made the following statement:
“Tomorrow’s special session, initiated by Pakistan for the Islamic states and the PLO, is a foregone conclusion. The draft resolution cloaks itself in neutral language, but clearly points the finger at Israel, accusing the Jewish state of ‘systematic discrimination’.”
“And like all previous UNHRC commissions of inquiry on Israel, one may expect that both the commissioners and the staff that do the research and drafting will be carefully selected to ensure a guilty verdict for Israel.”
9th Special Session on Israel, Worst Abusers Ignored
This will be be the ninth special session targeting Israel since the UNHRC was founded in 2006.
Of the other special sessions that condemned countries, there have been 5 on Syria, 3 on Myanmar, and 1 each on Central African Republic, Libya, Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Sudan, Burundi and South Sudan.
The UNHRC has never held a special session on China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Cuba, Egypt, Venezuela, Turkey, Belarus or Pakistan, for example.
