Afrasianet - On the sidelines of its participation in the 38th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights in cooperation with the International Alliance for Peace and Development organized a seminar entitled "Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Arab Territories", on Monday 2 July 2018 at the European headquarters of the United Nations, in the presence of representatives of a large number of Arab and European rights organizations, representatives of official missions and officials of the Office of the High Commissioner.
The meeting was moderated by Ayman Okeil, President of Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights, and was addressed by Fahd Mohammed Hussain, an expert on the Palestinian issue and general coordinator of An international campaign for solidarity with Palestinian captives in Israeli prisons " Tadamon", Ms. Kitty Panourgia, member of the International Alliance for Peace and Development and European ambassador for Women's entrepreneurship.
In his speech, Okeil stressed that the Palestinian issue is a central issue and one of the issues that reflects the absence of justice, undermining the foundations of peace and continued violation for human rights, noting that in May 70 years had passed since the tragedy of the armless Palestinian people, many millions of whose sons had been displaced .Okeil added that the repressive practices of the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people, are blatantly contrary to international conventions and laws. Expresses Israel's indifference to its status as the occupying Power and has obligations to provide all the needs of the protected population in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, in particular the Fourth Convention on the Protection of the rights of civilians, Okeil asked whether international humanitarian law conventions and instruments and International Bill of human rights instruments were still applicable. And able to defend itself against those who ignore it?
Mr. Fahd Mohammed Hussain presented shocking statistics about Palestinian captives in occupation prisons, And the heinous violations committed by the occupying Power against all categories of the Palestinian people, including children, He said that The violations suffered by Palestinian children captives in Israeli occupation prisons were crimes of a multifaceted and colorful kind were shameful violations.
The Palestinian expert said more than 8,500 children were been arrested in the past years, including more than 700 were tried before military courts in violation of the rights of the Child. As well as dozens of children who are under administrative detention, Fahd Hussain revealed that in recent months there had been an increase in the number of crimes of occupation against Palestinian children, He called on the international community and the Human Rights Council to act immediately to rescue the Palestinian families and children from the teeth of the brutal occupation.
In her speech, Ms. Kitty Panourgia expressed the view of the International Alliance for Peace and Development, Which calls on the party, civil, media and popular organizations in all countries of the world to mobilize their efforts and mobilize their means of communication with policy makers and decision-making circles in their countries to move them towards action that would stop Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people, revealing the unethical justifications that make some governments take diplomatic and political positions in favor of a state that violates human rights every day, refuses to comply with Security Council resolutions and humiliated by international law.
The speakers also stressed the need for an international investigation and the establishment of an international commission on the massacres and war crimes committed by the occupying Power in the Gaza Strip since the start of the major return marches in March 2018, and take international action against the US decision to relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem, which is contrary to all international covenants and conventions. They also called for the halting of settlement construction, settlement expansion and construction activities of the separation wall, the cessation of forced evictions of Palestinian residents and the demolition of their homes.