CAIRO: The Arab Parliament has called on the UN to set up an international fact-finding committee to probe Israeli actions against the Palestinian people.
The legislative body of the Arab League wants a “neutral and fair” report to follow an investigation into possible Israeli “war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Parliamentary members issued their UN plea during an emergency meeting to discuss the recent actions of Israeli authorities in the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa Mosque and the city’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
The Arab Parliament demanded prosecution before the International Criminal Court of any individuals and their supporters found responsible for such crimes.
It called on the UN Security Council to take all measures “to immediately stop the bombing and massacres committed by the occupying power (Israel) against the defenseless Palestinian people” in all Palestinian territories.
The parliament warned of regional and global repercussions as a result of Israeli action in Palestine and the threat it posed to international peace and security and it affirmed the rejection of the de facto policy and commitment to UN resolutions and international consensus regarding the legal status of the city of Jerusalem.
Delegates pointed out the need to oblige Israel to implement UN Security Council resolutions on Jerusalem and the occupied Palestinian territories, calling on the UN and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to take immediate measures and impose deterrent sanctions over the situation.
Parliamentarians said the Israeli government should be urged to immediately stop demolitions, evictions, and ethnic cleansing in the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighborhoods of Jerusalem and called for international protection for Palestinian land rights via the implementation of UN resolutions and decisions holding the Israeli government “fully responsible for these brutal crimes.”
In addition, the Arab Parliament requested that the UN Human Rights Council hold an emergency session to discuss Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people and its violation of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
It appealed to the EU, European countries, and the US to stop selling weapons to Israel which were being used to target civilians and the media in breach of international laws and human rights charters and encouraged all European governments to formally recognize the state of Palestine.
The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was also requested to “confront the occupying power’s attempts to make geographic and demographic changes to the occupied city of Jerusalem in contravention of international law, norms, and international covenants.”
Activation of a financial safety net for the Palestinian Authority, previously approved by Arab leaders, was also called for by the parliament.
