On Pakistan’s request, UN rights council to hold special session on ‘possible crimes’ in Gaza

A Palestinian boy plays on May 24, 2021 next to buildings damaged damaged by Israeli air strikes in Gaza. (AFP)

• Muslim countries call on United Nations to investigate crimes committed during latest violence between Israel and Palestinian and to establish responsibility
• Submit draft resolution late to establish independent inquiry commission to investigate rights violations in occupied Palestinian territory

GENEVA: Muslim countries are calling on the United Nations to investigate possible crimes committed during the 11-day conflict between Israel and the Palestinian military group Hamas and to establish responsibility.
The UN Human Rights Council will hold a special session on the latest conflict on Thursday, at the request of Pakistan, as coordinator of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the state of Palestine.
Those countries submitted a draft resolution late on Tuesday that would establish an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate all human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, since April 13.
It would also examine all underlying root causes of tensions and instability, “including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity,” the draft said.
The independent team would collect and analyze evidence of crimes perpetrated, including forensic material, “in order to maximize the possibility of its admissibility in legal proceedings”.
Reporting back in June 2022, it would identify those responsible to try and end impunity and ensure legal accountability.
Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, said in a tweet last week that convening the session “targeting Israel is testament to the clear anti-Israeli agenda of this body”. Its sponsors were “only rewarding the actions of Hamas, a terrorist organization”, she added, referring to the Islamist rulers of the coastal strip.
Since being set up in 2006, the UN rights council, a 47-member forum, has held eight previous special sessions that have condemned Israel and set up several probes into alleged war crimes.
The United States rejoined the forum under President Biden after the Trump administration quit accusing it of an anti-Israel bias. The US delegation currently has observer status but no vote.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Middle East on Tuesday and pledged that Washington would provide new aid to help rebuild Gaza as part of efforts to bolster a cease-fire between its Hamas Islamist rulers and Israel.