Gaza: Human Rights Council Session and UNICEF visit

United Nations, New York, 15 October 2009 - Today in Geneva, the Human Rights Council began its special session on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and East Jerusalem.

In her remarks to the special session, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called for an immediate halt to the recent wave of eviction orders and demolitions of Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem. She said she viewed such practices as violations of international humanitarian law.

Pillay also reiterated her support for the recommendations of the Gaza fact-finding mission led by Justice Richard Goldstone. She underscored the need for all parties to carry out impartial, independent, prompt and effective investigations into reported violations of human rights and humanitarian law in compliance with international standards.

The Human Rights Council expects to continue its special session tomorrow.

In related news, American actress Mia Farrow and Egyptian actor Mahmoud Kabil, both UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, ended a two-day visit to Gaza today. They went to see firsthand the hardships that children are continuing to face there.

"The children appear traumatized", Farrow said. She added, "The teachers say that when they hear a loud noise they look to the sky and cry out and weep. They don't know what the future holds. They deserve better." The UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors also heard from children who are now forced to work in tunnels in order to support their struggling families. Those tunnels are used to smuggle in goods that are otherwise unavailable in Gaza, UNICEF says. Farrow will also be visiting Sderot, in southern Israel.
Meanwhile, the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) reports that 88 truckloads of goods were transferred into Gaza from Israel yesterday, through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Nearly half of those truckloads contained milk, fruit, and straw for animals. In addition, cooking gas and industrial diesel for the Gaza power plant made it into Gaza through the Nahal Oz pipelines. But the Karni conveyor belt crossing was closed.

News Story:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32564&Cr=palestin&Cr1=

UNICEF website:
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_51423.html

Archived Video of the Human Rights Council Special Session:
http://www.un.org/webcast/unhrc/archive.asp?go=091015

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• United Nations
• UN
• Human Rights Council
• Special Session
• Palestine
• Israel
• Geneva
• Occupied territory
• Gaza
• Jerusalem
• Mia Farrow
• Mahmoud Kabil
• Jews
• Muslims
• UNICEF
• Goodwill Ambassadors
• Children
• Traumatize
• Forced to work
• Middle east
• Peace process
• Arab-Israeli conflict

[Serge1965]

The land of Israel is non-negotiable, it belongs to Yah Weh, the God of the Bible who has made an everlating covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, those who will bless Israel will be blessed by God Almighty but those who will curse Israel will be cursed by God Himself so stop deceiving people with the notions of occupied territory, the land belongs to Israel