UN warns Israeli actions in Palestine aim to alter demographics
GENEVA — The United Nations warned on Thursday that Israeli actions in occupied Palestinian territories are designed to enforce permanent demographic change.
“Israeli actions appear aimed at altering the demography of Gaza and the West Bank permanently, raising concerns about ethnic cleansing,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, addressing the 61st session of the Human Rights Council.
Referencing Israeli military operations over the past year in northern West Bank, Türk stated that Zionist actions have forced 32,000 Palestinian residents from their homes.
“Evidence gathered by my office has revealed a consistent pattern of human rights violations and abuses, serious breaches of international humanitarian law, and atrocious crimes that remain unpunished,” he said.
In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Türk noted that occupying forces “continue to conduct air strikes and use unlawful force, killing hundreds of Palestinians”.
Regarding Gaza, Türk pointed out that the territory “now has the highest per capita number of child amputees in the world”.
He stressed that “Israel continues to destroy civilian infrastructure and forcibly displace Palestinians within the Occupied Palestinian Territory”.
“The humanitarian situation remains extremely dire as Israel continues to obstruct the humanitarian community’s ability to deliver food, shelter, fuel, medical supplies, and other essential goods.”
Highlighting the lack of accountability for Israeli violations and crimes, Türk stated: “The absence of accountability for grave violations that have occurred is truly shameful”.
“Instead, there are efforts to obstruct accountability. Unilateral sanctions imposed on 11 judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court are utterly unacceptable. This applies equally to sanctions imposed on the Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, appointed by this Council,” he said.
He called on Israel to “end its illegal occupation in accordance with the International Court of Justice’s conclusions” and “remove unwarranted restrictions on the flow of humanitarian assistance”.