The UN human rights chief has slammed Israel’s deadly reaction to protests along the Gaza border as “wholly disproportionate”, backing calls for an international investigation.
Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein stopped short of explicitly using the words "war crimes", while the Israeli ambassador rejected the criticisms levelled against Israel https://t.co/ObXqLca5sK
— sanya burgess (@sanyaburgess) May 18, 2018
Opening a special session of the UN Human Rights Council that could set up a commission of inquiry into recent Israeli violence that has resulted in deaths of more than 100 Palestinians in six weeks, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein warned that:
“Killing resulting from the unlawful use of force by an occupying power may also constitute wilful killings, a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention.”
The UN human rights chief says there had been "little evidence of any [Israeli] attempt to minimise casualties" Israel's actions might, "constitute 'wilful killings' – a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention" https://t.co/RgXkLVPY52
— Spectraliser (@Spectraliser) May 18, 2018
He went on to say that Israel has systematically deprived Palestinians of their human rights, with 1.9 million in Gaza “caged in a toxic slum from birth to death”.
Israel has systematically deprived Palestinians of their human rights, with 1.9 million in Gaza "caged in a toxic slum from birth to death", U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said on Friday. #SaveGaza From Israel . pic.twitter.com/iIhHFfvc8G
— Ahsan Nazir Raja (@AhsanNazirRaja) May 18, 2018
He added:
“Nobody has been made safer by the horrific events of the past week. End the occupation, and the violence and insecurity will largely disappear.”
He pointed out though that while at least 60 Palestinians were killed and thousands injured in a single day of protests on Monday, “on the Israeli side, one soldier was reportedly wounded, slightly, by a stone”.
Israel's deadly reaction to protests along the Gaza border "wholly disproportionate," says UN chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein https://t.co/9CXflMBOiJ pic.twitter.com/kEqNlRp85q
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 18, 2018
He told the council:
“The stark contrast in casualties on both sides is … suggestive of a wholly disproportionate response.”
Many of the Palestinians injured and killed “were completely unarmed, (and) were shot in the back, in the chest, in the head and limbs with live ammunition,” he said, adding there was “little evidence of any (Israeli) attempt to minimize casualties”.
Israel keeps Gaza residents "caged in a toxic slum" – U.N.'s Zeid https://t.co/8A3oJmUib6 (statement by UN human right chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein) in WHO World Health Organisation Congo Ebola crisis summit, THINK also this!
— jarr catty (@lettermatter) May 18, 2018
“Although some of the demonstrators threw Molotov cocktails, used slingshots to throw stones, flew burning kites into Israel and attempted to use wire-cutters against the two fences between Gaza and Israel, these actions alone do not appear to constitute the imminent threat to life or deadly injury which could justify the use of lethal force.”
'Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said "those responsible for outrageous human rights violations must be held to account," while Human Rights Watch described the killings as a "bloodbath".' https://t.co/4wgZwLqOD9 HCHR a bit vague
— brian g (@bodhibrian) May 14, 2018
Zeid said he supported the call for “an investigation that is international, independent and impartial, in the hope the truth regarding these matters will lead to justice.”
One of the strongest statements came from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, who condemned the "shocking killing of dozens, injury of hundreds by Israeli live fire"https://t.co/JMGIb7u1UG
— Katherine Mendelsohn (@Katheri48033429) May 14, 2018
The special session comes after weeks of mass protests along the Gaza border, calling for Palestinian refugees to be able to return to their homes now inside Israel to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Nakba or “Catastrophe” when more than 700,000 Palestinians were driven out from their homes by Israeli forces.
(AJE, PC, Social Media)
Is Israel being sent to the UN’s naughty boys’ corner yet again?
It must be extremely tiresome for this to be happening time after time as, indeed, is listening to the well worn response from Israel.
” Please, sir, it wasn’t me, sir. It was all those other boys who started it and I was forced to kill and maim some of them before they would leave me alone.”
But the Palestinian position isn’t much better. Attacks against the state of Israel, small scale or large, have no chance of improving a situation already almost as bad as it can get.
Sometimes you just have to go in another direction.
‘ Finding the Laxian Key ‘ — ” if we would will the end, then we must also will the means