African Nations Lash Out at ’Israel’, Call to ’End Occupation’ Now

Local Editor

The "Israeli" entity must immediately end its occupation of the West Bank and its blockade on Gaza, the regional African Group told the United Nations Human Rights Council [UNHRC] in Geneva on Monday.

"The African Group calls for putting an immediate end to ‘Israel's' occupation, settlements, blockade on two million people in the Gaza Strip, the detention and imprisonment of thousands of Palestinians, and all other forms of collective punishment targeting the oppressed Palestinian people," the 54-member African Group said in a statement that was delivered by South Africa on their behalf.

It made its statement during the Agenda Item 7, which mandates that the UNHRC debate "Israeli" human rights abuses against the Palestinians during each session. No other nation has such a standing Agenda Item. All other human rights abuses around the globe are dealt with under Agenda Item 4.

The "Israeli" entity must immediately end its occupation of the West Bank and its blockade on Gaza, the African Group told the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The call by the African Group comes in advance of "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's highly publicized visit to the African continent later this month to deepen ties between the apartheid entity and that continent.

The African Group told the UNHRC that the Palestinian people have a right "to self-determination and to a State on the basis of the borders of June 4, 1967, with east al-Quds [Jerusalem] as its capital," the African Group said.

The African group's statement further added that "The international community must rise up to its responsibility and take urgent action to address this situation, as it strives to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the world, it is incumbent upon us to pay our primary attention to the plight of the People in the occupied Palestinian territories, who suffer dire human rights situation as a result of the occupation."

Egypt's representative called on the UNHRC to force the "Israeli" entity to comply with past UN resolution on its activities in the West Bank and Gaza, including east al-Quds [Jerusalem].

"It is shameful that this country refuses to participate in this discussion of Agenda Item 7."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team