Exclusive: UN Palestine Inquiry members reportedly resigned
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According to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in Geneva, all members of the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory have resigned following Israeli pressure.
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The Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory (official website of the United Nations Human Rights Council)
Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in Geneva reported that all members of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories have submitted their resignations. The decision reportedly comes after months of sustained pressure and obstruction by Israeli authorities, raising serious concerns over the integrity of international accountability mechanisms.
Our correspondent reported that the resignations followed a period of intensified Israeli campaigns aimed at undermining the commission's work, which ultimately rendered their continued role untenable. The UN is yet to confirm the resignations.
The commissioners had been appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021 to investigate human rights violations in occupied Palestine and “Israel.”
Israeli officials accused the commission of antisemitism, refusal to cooperate, and mounted diplomatic efforts to delegitimize the body’s work. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously dismissed the inquiry as “anti-Israel.”
Commission documented war crimes in Gaza and West Bank
In its reports, the commission found “reasonable grounds” to conclude that Israeli forces committed war crimes in Gaza, including:
- Direct attacks on civilians
- Wilful killings
- Starvation as a weapon of war
- Sexual violence and forced displacement, including acts amounting to genocidal intent
The findings also noted patterns of settler violence, demolition of infrastructure, and suppression of civil society in the West Bank.
Chris Sidoti, member of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, provided #AlMayadeen with insight into the report issued by the committee, which faced strong criticism from the occupation authorities.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 12, 2024
The report… pic.twitter.com/Gyu9fnauDw
UN admits failure to protect Palestinians
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric had recently admitted that “the United Nations has failed to protect the Palestinian people.”
Speaking from New York, Dujarric added: “The Secretary-General and all remaining UN humanitarian staff in Gaza are doing everything they can to help civilians survive, at the very least, by providing them with what limited resources we have.”
