Good afternoon, everyone. And thank you for joining us at this press briefing.
The subject of the briefing today will be the escalating violence and
human rights violations in Gaza and across the occupied Palestinian territory.
I'll begin with a quick introduction of our speakers today.
We will have opening remarks from four speakers,
two of them in the room with us
and two special rapporteurs who will be speaking online
here with us. We have Mr Pedro
the special rapporteur on the right to water and sanitation,
who is the independent expert on the promotion
of a democratic and equitable international order.
We have Ms Francesca Albanese,
who is the special rapporteur on the situation of
human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.
Keng, who is the special rapporteur on the right to help
Each of the speakers will have brief opening remarks.
We will begin with Miss Albanese,
Special Rapporteur. You have the flow.
thank you very much, especially to HC HR for convening this, uh, briefing,
And the other special rapporteurs and mandate
holders who are joining joining me today.
I wish to address the alarming escalation
of violence in the occupied Palestinian territory,
the one that has ravaged Gaza over the past 11 months and
the troubling indications that the violence is spreading to the West Bank,
outlining the current situation in five minutes in a way
that render justice and does not dehumanise this even further.
The Palestinians is impossible and still I will do my best in
in highlighting three main points. First, the current situation on the ground
a year. Israel's genocidal assault has devastated entire families.
To raise the neighbourhoods destroyed the essential infrastructure.
The scale of this destruction has led to allegations of domic side
site. This violence has gone unpunished and continues unabated.
Nearly 2 million people over 90% of the Gaza population are forcibly displaced,
many, many relocated multiple times.
Almost everyone is reliant on humanitarian aid,
which is limited and insufficient.
The death toll stands at, uh 4
4000. All over 40,000 Palestinians killed in 95 over 95,000 injured.
but still the trauma inflicted both physical and psychological.
We linger for generations.
the fury unleashed against Gaza has not spared the Israeli hostages that
were taken on October 7th by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups,
using them as political pawns.
Israel has endangered their lives, sometimes even killed them and excessive
the pain of their families and friends who are longing for their return.
In Israel today, Gaza remains under siege and relentless bombardment.
Evacuation orders continue to be issued to a population that has nowhere to go,
and they are just waiting for their death.
The closure of the Rafah border, uh,
has further exacerbated their ability to escape or to survive.
The suffering is unimaginable, and the way in the world continue to remain silent.
Primarily, I'm referring to Western countries in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
The unbearable blind violence that has been unleashed in Gaza
is finally not sparing, um, those living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem,
and the attacks against the Palestinians have been, um,
intensifying after October 7th, land confiscation,
destruction of infrastructure and the population wrought
by the Israeli occupation and settler militias.
Since October 2023 has been marked by violent calls for
displacement of Palestinians into Jordan or into the Arab countries,
acts of force displacement, extrajudicial killings and appalling
acts of revenge, physical and psychological torture. Sukar,
679 Palestinians, including 159 Children, have been killed in this area.
The Israeli military, supported by armed settlers,
has intensified its strikes on the Palestinian towns and villages,
especially in the north, where aerial and ground attacks have hit Jenin
escalating to levels not seen in two decades, particularly in the last two weeks,
airstrikes and artillery have killed dozens
Palestinians while injuring many more.
Bulldozers and explosives are destroying as we speak petal infrastructure,
including roads and utilities,
disrupting essential services like water and electricity.
Israeli forces continue to besiege hospitals, halting ambulances and the
Israeli leaders have openly called the West Bank towns and refugee camps mini
Gaza and despite these apparent crimes and
continues and continued incitement from top officials,
those responsible for these crimes remain unpunished.
The second element I want to bring to your
attention is despite the horror on the ground.
Hope comes from the people who are protesting against
against the complicity that is allowing Israel to commit the crime and
hope comes from the international justice system which are producing a seismic
the International Criminal Court has been requested
to issue arrest warrants concerning various atrocities,
underscoring the need for accountability.
two significant cases are pending before the International
Court of Justice regarding allegations of genocide.
South Africa versus Israel with a set of preliminary measures that,
um that have gone, uh not followed up. And the second is Nicaragua versus Germany.
Uh, third International Criminal Court. Sorry.
Uh, third, almost 6060 days ago, the IC G a has issued an historical decision,
an advisory opinion that declares all Israel's
presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful
to annexation, violation of Palestinian refugee, uh,
Palestinian self determination and therefore to be dismantled.
the advisory opinion provides clear guidance on the responsibility
of states and international organisations to address these violations.
Third and last point shockingly in the face of the abyss reached in the
OPT and the hope provided by the
international Justice system member states most member states
remained inactive at best or actively
aiding and assisting Israel's criminal conduct.
The international community must active decisively and must active now.
And as I'm speaking to the media today, let me say something. Too often.
Media has disseminated Israeli disinformation which
has served to justify the crimes
This coverage has contributed to dehumanised
Palestinians and to his public perception,
undermining accountability.
As a Western citizen myself, I ask Western journalists among you,
if you really resent and repent our past.
If you really resent and repent what Western
countries have done to millions during colonialism,
including during Nazi fascism in Europe, stop dehumanising the Palestinians.
The facts are to enter all areas in the OPT
and do not perpetuate narratives that allowed for continued injustice.
And we will now hear from the independent expert on
the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order.
It is clear now to everybody
that there is an evolving tragedy
is not an issue just for the Palestinians.
It is immediately related
to the future of multilateralism.
and the United Nations system
nowadays an obvious crisis of both of them
before major international crimes like those committed in Gaza.
against international judges.
Recently, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
has said that he had heard from a senior figure
that the court was not built for the West and its allies,
So I think that it is important
just democratic, equitable international order
not to adopt double standards regarding
but have a uniform position
based on principles values the United Nations Charter.
It is important the immediate recognition of the state
It is of utter importance
all states to exert pressure
for an immediate stop a ceasefire
recently demanded by the prosecutor
are a promise of accountability and end of impunity
for the occupied Palestinian territory.
This promise should be kept.
would undermine the deterrent effect that accountability could create.
It is really regrettable that the European states
have acted against these warrants,
the International Court of justice
has already declared the occupation
Its work is complementary to the work of the ICC for full justice in Palestine.
Both courts must do their work without foreign interference and threats
to demonstrate the promise of global justice
and individual accountability for all victims
and we continue with the special rapporteur
thank you very much. Well,
Israel, through government and army spokesman
from the beginning of this war that it would
cut off water, food and energy
to the civilian population
Currently, the population lives
on an average of 4.7 litres
of water per person per day.
Any one of us any one of us
uses no less than 100 litres per day
and the WHO sets the minimum requirement in emergency situations at
In addition, accessible water is often contaminated by faecal matter,
leading to serious health problems, especially for Children,
often resulting in death.
one natural source of fresh water
The strip is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, of whom
it is important, 1.7 million are refugees
forced by Israel to live there in refugee camps.
has been forced to pump three times more
water than the aquifer receives through natural replenishment,
resulting during the blockade for one decade and
a half in intense marine intrusion and salinization.
Israel has been blocking 70% of the materials needed to build and operate
use materials, preventing proper sewage treatment,
which has led to progressive faecal contamination of ground water.
Until the outbreak of the war, drinking water was supplied by desalination plants
and a limited amount of water sold to the Palestinians by Israel.
These provide drinking water to around 40% of the population.
At the outbreak of the war, Israel
radically cut off this water supply and cut off the power supply
collapsing desalination plants.
has led to 1.7 million cases of infection diseases, mainly diarrhoea,
dysentery and hepatitis A,
particularly affecting Children
as well as cases of polio, smallpox and other infectious diseases that can trigger
massive and deadly epidemics.
All this, coupled with the lack of medical care, result in deaths,
especially of babies and Children making water scarcity and contamination
a silent bomb which has far less visibility than those that
Israel's violation of existing international law,
as the International Criminal Court has already ruled, is systematic.
Both the Fourth Geneva Convention
and the Rome statute, as well as customary international and humanitarian law,
But not compliance with international law related
to water does not only concern Gaza.
The militarization of water in the occupied Palestinian territory has been
at the heart of a policy of water and territorial apartheid
including the destruction of basic Palestinian water infrastructure.
Palestinians have no access to the Jordan River
and cannot build wells or water infrastructure in their own territories.
They have only 70 litres per person a day,
many rural communities have only 20 litres,
while Israeli population has four times more on average
and illegal settlers receive and use 18 times
more water for their crops and swimming pools.
Finally, we are witnessing a genocide against the Palestinian people.
Thank you very much to the special rapporteur.
And now we move to the special rapporteur
on the right to Health Doctor MFN.
I welcome this opportunity to speak to you today in my
capacity as the special put on the right to health.
We have watched this horror of a genocide in Gaza unfold over the past 11 months.
It is important to note that even before October the seventh,
the situation was already incompatible with the
realisation of the right to health.
And this current episode represents another amongst many
episodes of a display of a recalcitrant repent attitude
of an occupying regime as well as its powerful global allies.
of an ongoing enactments over a decades long genocidal plans is systemic.
And it sustained imperialist violence
that experienced by Palestinians every single day
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, as of 14 September,
approximately 41,000 Palestinians have been killed, 95,000 injured,
and in the past 24 hours alone,
24 Palestinians were killed and 57 more injured than we can account for
with more than 50 days having passed since the
International Court of Justice issued a landmark advisory opinion
declaring Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories
encompassing the West Bank, including east Jerusalem
and the Gaza Strip as illegal under international law.
Emphasising that Israel's actions amount to annexation
yet member states, with all the implications of the I CJ opinion
and their obligations to comply,
and days into this current war and a genocide.
I did warn that the Gaza's medical infrastructure
was on the path of being irreparably damaged
and that health care providers were working in a dire situation
and that the right to health itself was being targeted
and the long term trauma that the people in Gaza will carry with them.
Because of this enduring intergenerational physical and mental
health and the impact of racism and structural discrimination
cannot truly be quantified.
We are yet as a world, even as clinicians and doctors such as myself,
yet to develop a matrix to truly measure the
true impact of what this genocide has meant,
the compounding effect of what this situation is
remembering very well that even before October,
the seventh Life was not conducive to dignity in the Gaza Strip.
And so the attacks on hospitals on healthcare workers
are on a scale we have never seen before,
and the right to health has been
decimated at every single level.
Today, only 17 out of the 36 hospitals are partially functional
and maintain some minimal service.
And only 58 out of 100 and 32 primary healthcare facilities are functional
as they struggle to save lives amid critical shortages of healthcare workers,
trickling supplies of fuel, medical items.
a lot of Children have received their first dose of vaccine.
they and their families continue to face bombardment
when they try to reach those facilities.
They are still at risk of bombardment when they depart those facilities.
So the continued concern for the right to health is still continuing,
as we see with the kinds of illnesses such as skin disease,
air and waterborne illnesses,
acute mental health distress that continues that we cannot have a
solid approach that looks at only one solution and does not
take into account the fact that for Gaza to recover for
a health system to do what it needs to do,
there has to be an immediate ceasefire and
that is not something that should be negotiated.
An immediate ceasefire is absolutely necessary.
My mandate continues to receive information
regarding arrests and detention of healthcare workers specifically
and the system must get a pattern
that even when medical personnel are on duty,
they are also being forced to evacuate hospitals.
They are being harassed to leave their patients behind.
Some are arrested, some are dying and killed under those circumstances of torture,
repeatedly being beaten in prison with their bodies showing signs of torture.
And I have communicated in an urgent appeal to Israel some of these concerns.
So the destruction of the health system right now is created by this genocide
is completely incompatible, but it's been enabled by
Israel and its allies to be able to continue.
There must be an end to the occupation.
There must be an immediate ceasefire.
We must allow critical medical supplies and secure the
safety of healthcare workers to reach every single facility,
expedite medical evacuations for everyone who needs them,
and my last point is that the intimidation and harassment
of United Nations staff and experts who are
carrying out their mandates must be stopped.
And this issue must be taken seriously as we are all
operating within mandated work and there is no place for harassment,
intimidation or even Reprisals for people who are a work
including targeted intimidation and harassment of experts.
A genocide is incompatible with realisation of the right to health,
and peace follows liberation.
there is no way that we can extinguish the human desire for freedom.
And this is ultimately about the freedom of the people to self determine.
Thank you, Special rapporteur,
and thank you to all the experts for sharing their statesman statements.
Today we'll open for questions.
Now take some questions in the room first and
then move to those of you joining us online.
If I could please ask you to state your name and organisation when you
Uh, yes, thank you. My name is Isabel Saco.
Uh, my I have two questions. One of is for Mr Arroyo.
Um, I would like to know if he considers, uh,
that water is being used as a weapon of war in Gaza.
And if you remember any other case or situation where water has been used in
and for all the participants, if you could, um,
if you agree or not from the own pers from the perspective of your own mandate,
Uh, if there is genocide in Gaza or not, thank you.
Water is more and more used as a weapon against the civilian population,
not against the other army.
I have cases also at present in
the border between Syria and Turkey
and other cases we are seeing also in some way also this kind of,
comparable, similar to the case of not just Gaza
but Palestinian in general occupied Palestinian
because it's something that is
organised from 50 years ago
and now during the war in Gaza, it was explicit.
It was not just to say no, no explicitly recognised, we will cut water,
So This is, uh, I, I used to say, just in order to know,
when international law qualifies, the systematic blockade of food,
Normally we talk more on food.
as a crime against humanity. In the category of extermination,
Water. I remember to you that water is the main food. We need
But at the same time, if drinkability is not guaranteed,
it becomes the most terrible vector of disease and death that exist in the world.
this is clearly employed as a weapon
in Gaza against the Palestinian civil population.
The second part of Isabel's question was directed at all of the experts.
Would anybody like to respond?
Maybe. I repeat the question. Lisa, if you
consider from their own perspective of your mandate,
if if there is genocide, well, some of you already said, but not all of you
in Gaza. Genocide in Gaza. And why?
If you can just make a statement on this Thank you,
Yes. Thank you for the question.
I think that the genocidal intent has been proven from the beginning.
of uh uh, South Africa's, uh, application.
We had a lot of statements
by Israeli officials stating
that Palestinians are animals that cannot be treated accordingly
to the international rules of uh uh uh,
the situation has getting much, much more worse,
statements, uh, have been,
So I think that there is not any more a question about that.
Would any of the other experts Miss Albanese,
Yes, I was, uh, as I was listening to my distinguished colleagues,
I said how nice it is to speak a common language because, I mean we are.
There are many special rapporteurs who
have signed statements denouncing since mid
Uh, the risk of genocide, serious risk of genocide. And that November
and unfolding genocide Ongoing.
Our colleague, special rapporteur on the right to,
has published an astonishing report on how food sovereignty has been attacked,
leading to starvation to starvation, being a tool of war.
back to the question that was asked concern concerning water. I agree.
Of course, with uh uh, my colleague,
the special rapporteur on the right to water concerning
water being used as a tool of war.
But here context is not that of a conflict. And please, please media
and journalists. We need to get the framing right. The ICJ advisory opinion
has called out the Israel
Colonisation Enterprise Settler colonisation enterprise
in the occupied Palestinian territory other than by name.
Therefore, you have to keep in mind that water including in the West Bank and the
Jerusalem was already being used not just as a tool of war,
as a tool to encourage to to to push people into forced displacement.
Because the the per capita water distribution was 80% of
the total water water budgets that have been encircled by the
wall and by settlements for the settlers who shouldn't be Israeli
settlers who shouldn't be there in the first place and 20%
for the for the past Palestinians.
So we are talking of 300 litres per capita uh,
per the Israeli settler per Israeli settlers at 70
litres per person on average to the Palestinians.
And we shouldn't miss the forest for the trees
Israel is has put forward a settler colonial,
uh, enterprise in what remains of historical Palestine.
And it is It needs to be stopped now.
Uh, yeah, they take that.
first of all, can, uh, please send us your notice? It's very important for, uh,
Uh, Jamie and then Nina, And then we'll move to some questions online.
Oh, so sorry. Did you want
I represent the wire publication in India.
you constantly refer to the double standards and hypocrisy of the Western nations.
Would that include the United States? Because you constantly
refer to the European Western states.
And also, I want to know that you know, India's
in terms of weapons that are being used which are destroying
much of the assets of Palestinians.
Are there Indian bombs which are being used? Is there any
sort of awareness or knowledge of this issue? This is a question open to all.
will you take that question?
Happy to, um, I in fact, I was thinking after, uh, answering the previous question.
Sometimes we have a We are unfair because international community is,
uh is made of so many states, and we need to be very critical.
But in fact, I would like to make sure that when we are critical, we do not overshadow
the incredible, incredible shift that has been,
uh, provoked by states like South Africa and now,
from South Africa to Chile.
There has been a reaction from the global south,
and I want to acknowledge the states and thank the states
to save what remains to be said of of the international,
uh, law, uh, based system.
Um, when When we talk of hypocrisy and double standards,
I don't think that this is a prerogative of the of the Western countries.
though there are countries in the Arab
regions and other countries in the Global South
strong allies of Israel at the expense at the
expense of life and dignity of the Palestinians.
But let me say of the future of the Israelis as well,
because a society which is traversed by,
um, genocidal by a genocidal goal by a genocidal force, uh,
has has very little has very little to be happy and to live, uh, safe.
Uh, I mean to very little to be happy about or to feel safe with,
and concerning Indian weapons. No, I
I'm personally not aware about it, but this is, I mean,
the the involvement of the military and security sectors
in the crimes that are committed in the context of
Israel's settler colonial occupation of what remains of Palestine is
something I intend to investigate as soon as possible.
In fact, it was my plan to do that last year, and then the
genocide happened. And, um, this was postponed.
But thank you for thank you for your input.
Just because there was a direct question regarding the United States,
I must say that of course,
the United States have not shown any kind of leadership in order to stop
what's happening. The great tragedy in Gaza.
Instead, they have invited, as you know, for the first time
Israeli Prime Minister Mr Netanyahu in a very
in the capital. And, uh uh,
the little that it has been done regarding
arms to Israel has not changed the situation. But practically it was,
in my eyes, at least, APR relationship.
really expect this issue to be one of the issues
of the debate towards the presidential elections.
Exactly, because I said in my introductory remarks,
I do not consider that an isolated issue, an isolated fact.
it is a kind of test regarding the survival
of the international system of, uh,
And, uh, finally, just as a little remark,
there is a lot of hypocrisy at the level of states, not
uh, other states that have already named
the rising wave or solidarity
the world, both in our European countries but
in the United States. And of course,
in, uh, in the Global South.
think that this, uh, solidarity of the peoples
to have a different future than the dystopian
that now it is evolving before our eyes.
Uh, Jamie from the Associated Press.
um, my question is for Ms
Um although also, Mr um, aroyo
gudu also, um, made an ius
you mentioned that, uh, the United Nations is in jeopardy.
Um, I think if I understood your French comments correctly,
and I just wanna make sure, um, we've seen a number of recent strikes, um, in Gaza,
um, against schools that have become shelters.
And Israel, of course, says that, um,
those strikes are aimed at militants. So
is the United Nations able to keep militants out of such shelters or somehow ensure
that these, uh, shelters,
um, are devoid of any militants?
And if not the United Nations, then who who should be doing that? Thanks.
Yes, I would like to answer, um,
So, first, is the UN in jeopardy? Yes, it is.
says the fact that Israel was born as a state of
exception to international law and to know the rules set by the
In fact, I do believe that Israel has been a constant violator of international law,
that admit no derogation,
like the prohibition of apartheid and racial segregation
sorry. And the duty to respect the right of self determination of the Palestinians.
the list is long because Israel has
committed war crimes and potentially crimes against humanity
against the Palestinian people far before and
for decades before the seventh of October.
So, yes, I mean, uh, this is, uh this is, um, a bull?
I'm not saying that there are no other
violators of international law and UN resolution,
but surely Israel is a is a has a systemic pattern.
Um, and the punity that has been granted has enabled its, uh, its
in standing against every and any, uh, UN,
UN norm international law provision, including the i CJ two.
I CJ advisory opinions and three sets of I CJ provisional measures to prevent,
Now going to the militants.
It seemed to me that again, we are facing a framing problem.
Now I know what I'm I mean,
I'm aware that what I'm going to say it's going to sound quite problematic
to those who seem to believe that Israel is allowed
to do anything it pleases in the occupied Palestinian territory.
But because Israel's presence is unlawful in the occupied Palestinian territory,
it constitutes an aggression against the right of self determination.
And the Palestinians like it or not, have the right to resist
the oppression, of course, within the realm and within the limits of the law.
Therefore, civilians cannot be targeted, killed or taken hostages, No question,
Your question makes me think that there is a
justification for Israel's assault against the the the the Palestinians
in Gaza, including what might legitimately constitute resistance.
And this is problematic because
you I don't think that Israel will ever succeed eradicating Hamas because again,
and this is beyond what under international
humanitarian law constitute a legitimate military purpose.
I've said it over and over together with other international law experts.
But again you cannot eradicate the legitimate expectations of people to have
freedom and dignity because this is what is at stake here and
rest assured that the Palestinians will continue to resist like
any people who has been under colonial colonial rule.
um and the history is replenished of experiences of people breaking
the Yoko colonisation after enduring years of subjugation and repression.
Palestinians are not an exception.
Thank you. Uh, Nina, did you have a question?
Yes. Thank you, Nina. Lars
NFP. Um, I wanted to follow up on the question about the the UN, Uh, being in danger.
I Israel, as you've said,
has had a fairly contentious relationship with the UN since for years and years.
But it's obviously reached, uh, a low point
now. I mean, how do you see that? Um,
impacting the UN S work? Uh, in general, impacting your own work.
And, um also sort of this the fact of ignoring,
uh, rulings. Uh, is that having an impact on other countries?
Do you think, uh, and their relationship to the UN? Uh, thank you.
Uh, which of the experts would like to take that question? Would it be
tomorrow. I have a side event here
and the heaven or translation,
I have No, we have No. The second travel we are obliged by the rapporteurs
is not possible because the UN has no money for this.
that we are we have at present in the United Nations.
an international scandal.
they are obliged, they are compromised and committed
functioning of the United Nations. But the problem is
is the fact that is, at present,
many people says, well, the United Nations is not useful.
And what happens after this
when the Council, the Security Council
and the main powers doesn't do
the United Nations if we don't react
at the same time, I used to say, and this is my position. Just my position
is a great opportunity for reacting
the things that we need to change in
this United Nations that continue to be an institution
So perhaps this situation, this critical situation
what to do in front of this
It is not just us. The secretary general has recently said
that the situation in Gaza
and he associated that also
The deadlock of the Security Council
may have, perhaps fatally undermined
the latter's authority, the Security Council.
It is not an issue just for the Security Council.
We see a deepening divide between north and south.
Of course, there are conflicting interests.
But in order to be able to work in a factional,
if not harmonious international order,
a first obligation is for everybody
to respect the United Nations
This is not happening in the case of Israel, and you are very right to say
that it is not just what is happening on the ground. We have some very direct attacks,
of high Israeli officials against the United Nations.
going to be continued. I trust
that the progressive and democratic citizens of Israel would not
let their country become a pariah like South Africa has become
during the times of apartheid.
Yes, Stan, go ahead, please.
share what my colleagues have said,
Although I think that it's unavoidable for Israel to become a pariah
in the face of its continuous, relentless vilifying assault on the United Nations
uh, Palestine, millions of Palestinians.
Um, but this year, the UN Secretary General, the General Assembly,
the Human Rights Council, have been constantly
believe. I know that it has not happened before, but never with this intensity.
And also let me shed light on what has happened to a
NWAANW a which is not only a lifeline for Palestinians in the occupied
represents as a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly,
an untouchable mechanism that testifies the permanent responsibility
of the United Nations to the Palestinian people,
feel their question of self determination and the right
to return of millions of Palestinian refugees is not
addressed and resolved. And this year
UNRWA has been attacked physically and function.
It has had all around 2 200
70% of UNRWA infrastructure has been either destroyed or severely damaged.
UNRWA premises have been attacked while shelter, sheltering thousands,
UNRWA has been smeared and vilified. And I wish I wish and of course, wishing in rock.
I wish the attacks were only by Israel,
but it seems to me and I I fear sometimes to to be to be victim of a conspiracy.
But then you put the numbers together.
And you see what member states west, especially Western states,
are doing the funding UNRWA and even supporting
Israel's actions against UNRWA as an overall attempt to get rid of the agency.
This is so This is so wrong
politically that it is to be looked at as one symptom of a greater problem.
does Israel deserve to continue to go unpunished
for its relentless attacks on the United Nations?
Should there be a consideration of its membership?
Um, as part of this organisation, which Israel seems to have 00 respect for
Thank you, Uh, we have a few questions online.
Uh, and since we're running short of time, I just moved to Jeremy, Uh, from RF. I
Yes. Can you hear me now?
Thank you. Uh, Miss Albanese.
International Human Rights Watch.
Uh, com. Human shields or military targets or evacuation orders,
attack a Gaza controlling
humanitarian convoys, Food convoys. Uh, so
Uh, we have two more questions. Uh, Emma,
Thanks for squeezing me in. Um,
I wanted to follow up on your remarks about most
states remaining inactive at best or assisting Israel's criminal conduct in
Um, could you comment on, uh,
Britain's decision to suspend some arms sales to Israel?
Would you applaud them for taking, um, some sort of step in that direction,
or is there really little point if if some arms are still going through to, uh, Israel
and maybe for Mr, uh, koalas,
Um, who spoke about US policy.
Uh, I'm wondering if you're hopeful for a shift. Um,
now that Kamala Harris is the
favourite, um, to be the next American president.
Do you see, uh, a chance of a weakening of that aid for Israel. Thank you.
I think that it's much easier to name the States in the West which have done something
to get out of the majority. Um,
It's a majority course of action, of tolerating and E even enabling, um,
Israel's conduct there has been Spain, Ireland, Belgium,
Luxembourg and Slovenia to an extent Portugal, who have been
more critical and to a different extent, they have taken,
um they have taken, uh, steps, um,
so far, there there seem to me to have been there has been an incredible support for,
uh for what, uh, Israel has been doing. I don't see I. I don't see a change of politics.
I had the chance to, uh, the chance to comment earlier,
on bri British on the British government's decision
to suspend Correct me if I'm wrong.
But what I know has happened is that Britain
suspended 10% 30 of the 300
licences it has for armed transfers with, uh, with Israel.
So, uh, numerically, it has definitely not done enough.
It has done 10% of its job to comply with the with the non
derog principles of international law with the provisional measures of the
of the International Court of Justice and again.
What is most shocking is that countries like Britain continue to,
uh, have a very, um, hostile attitude toward, uh, justice
and accountability We shall not forget. Yes, it was the previous government. But,
uh um uh who Who? The previous UK
government who triggered the reconsideration of, uh,
the IC C jurisdiction over Palestine.
This will go down in history as one incredible attempt to hamper justice and to,
and to, uh, obstruct accountability of
of course, you might argue that eventually the UK withdrew. Um,
Uh, this, uh, this action So it didn't make any submission to the to the IC C,
But this was not sufficient because it has, uh, meanwhile, uh,
opened the cauldron to many other states to
challenge the jurisdiction and therefore to delay justice.
So had it been a real re retraction,
Um, the UK should have made a submission to the IC C encourage
to spearhead justice. I mean, this is not what it has done.
it continues to crack down on freedom of expression and freedom of association,
in solidarity with the Palestinians and with the with
the Israelis who stand in support of the Palestinians.
But I really trust the British people who seem to continue to stand in solidarity,
even when even in the face of this crackdown,
Thank you for the question.
I don't want to directly get involved in elections in any country
and especially the United States.
Although it is not a secret, it is very known that
involvement in these elections by pro Israeli groups, mostly
to use a huge amount of money.
to have progressive members
of the Congress re elected.
exactly because, uh, as I'm also mentioning in my report is a hope
for overcoming this divide between north and south
the, uh, United Nations Charter
and the rules of the United Nations is that the United States should reconsider.
I understand, of course, geopolitics. I'm not naive,
but I think that a wave stance
for their minds and the hearts
the peoples in the South is going to be
in the multi plural world in the years to come.
Thank you very much. We have one more question from Yuri.
Yes, Thank you for taking my question. And thank you for this press conference.
maybe a follow up on what was just said by the special reporter George
Kalos. And this is also a question about that.
Uh, according to data from the UN uh, UN OHC HR,
about 12,000 civilians were killed in Ukraine in 2.5 years of conflict,
including now thou 9000 in the territories controlled by Ukraine. At
the same time, at least 41,000 civilians were
killed by the Israeli army in Gaza in less than a year in 11 months.
However, the Western states,
which have imposed unprecedented sanctions against Russia for
the violation of international law and UN Charter,
do not impose any sanctions against Israel.
And even more they are delivering weapons.
They are publicly supporting the operation in Gaza.
How to explain this difference?
And can we still speak about the existence of international law and order?
I mean E, even if for your mandate,
how can we speak about international order when the rules are so different
from one conflict to another. Thank you.
As I said from the beginning, the rules are not different. The application is,
and we cannot anymore stand
this kind of double standards and hypocrisy.
it's easy for me to repeat it. Thanks for your question.
Thank you. Uh, do we have any other question, Jimmy? Maybe the last one?
sure. Thank you. My My question is, for um, madam, um
Um, I wanted to just there was talk about, um, press reporting,
western press reporting and whatnot.
Um, and I just I I wanted to know,
um, if you could tell us just in the course of your recent work,
Um, what evidence that you have unearthed
in the course of your work
that is not getting out in the press right
now that you think there's something that's not being told
a story that's not being told
Because I assume you have press, um, as part of your sourcing,
but other sources as well.
So could you just tell us what? What what story? What narrative is not being told?
um I mean, I know you've said a lot of things already, but just specific, uh,
maybe testify to recent human rights violations or abuses
that, uh, is not getting, uh
uh, enough attention. Thank you.
Yeah. I will have to ask you to be patient, because, uh, I have plenty to say. Um,
in my next report, which is, uh, which works on the heels of, uh,
I wish I could have written
the most significant Because, II, I prefer not to
Not to hamper anything of what I have.
I don't think that I can really say that I have unearthed any any evidence
because, um, I don't have, uh, uh, feet on the ground.
rely on a variety of actors to put together and analyse the evidence.
is as a special rapporteur in the
occupied Palestinian territory is really to offer,
uh, a bird eye picture of the reality on the ground.
Um, including in a historical context in a historical fashion so as to help
people like you, other journalists and all the more, uh,
governments with decision making power not to miss
not to miss the forest for the trees.
the one thing is I would like to tell you is that, uh
it's pretty clear to me that the genocide that we
were unable to prevent and it is to be punished.
I mean, the people who have been the architect and the executors of the
genocide in Gaza have to be held accountable,
but the genocide was not prevented.
We have failed to honour one of the major
obligations imposed on member states by the Genocide convention,
which is to prevent genocide and then to
I see the risk of failing,
once again in the West Bank because the attack
that Israel has unlocked has unleashed is not just
against Palestinians in Gaza, it against the Palestinians as a whole.
So there is a need to see to read the writing on
the wall and to protect the Palestinians from what it might be,
uh, in some weeks or months from now, another
form of genocide unfolding. So this is why I'm so,
I'm so, uh, convincingly sounding the alarm not to Not to,
um, turn a blind eye on what is happening
to the entire Palestinian population under Israeli military rule.
Uh, thank you to all the rapporteurs for being here and thank you to all of you.
I'm sorry this ran long. Uh, but we'll close the press conference.
If anybody needs the statements, we can, Uh,
whatever statements are already written, we can try to share that.