The meeting included briefings presented by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese; the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Farida Shaheed; the Special Rapporteur on the right to development, Surya Deva; and the Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, Navi Pillay (Srinivas Muralidhar).
The briefings addressed the direct humanitarian and human rights consequences of the ongoing crisis in Gaza a year after the ceasefire came into effect, as well as the escalation of violence linked to the illegal Israeli occupation.
The speakers emphasized the gravity of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, warning that "genocide is ongoing in Gaza," while "crimes against humanity and war crimes" are being committed in the West Bank.
They also warned that the erasure of truth has become part of the destruction of an entire people, and that Palestinians are being deprived of hope and their dreams for the future.
The Special Rapporteurs and the Chair of the Commission of Inquiry focused on the cumulative, intergenerational impact of Israeli policies and practices, including settlement expansion, violence, and forced displacement, on the rights, livelihoods, and living conditions of the Palestinian people.
The speakers also highlighted the devastating damage inflicted on children and youth, and how the long-term illegal occupation deepens patterns of dispossession and rights violations, undermining the prospects for sustainable development for the Palestinian people.
The discussion highlighted the responsibilities of all parties and member states under international law, as speakers emphasized the need to take concrete measures to protect civilians, uphold human dignity, support recovery and reconstruction efforts with the effective, free, and meaningful participation of Palestinians, promote accountability, and move forward toward the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
