Palestine UN envoy: 'Israel' cause of suffering for disabled persons
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Efforts made by the Palestinian authority to provide assistance to people with special needs are undermined by ongoing Israeli assaults, according to Palestine's envoy to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour.
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Mohamed Aliwa, a Palestinian youth whose leg was amputated near the knee in 2018 after he was shot by Israeli occupation forces, shows off his parkour skills despite his disability in Gaza City, Jan. 4, 2021. (AFP)
Palestine's envoy to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, has held the Israeli occupation accountable for the suffering of Palestinians, most notably those with special needs.
Mansour made these remarks at the 16th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP16) in New York.
Mansour acknowledged that while Palestine should exert strained efforts to meet its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), it is a must to renew the call for international protection for the Palestinians as well as for liberating Palestine from the Israeli military occupation.
"The Israeli occupation remains the main cause of the suffering of the entire Palestinian nation, including persons with disabilities (PWD)," he explicitly said.
Watch | The Israeli occupation forces assault a young Palestinian with Down syndrome, Mohammad Al-Ajlouni, in #SheikhJarrah Neighborhood.#Palestine #SaveSheikhJarrah pic.twitter.com/ON5lSYTUQM
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) February 21, 2022
He further noted that the efforts made by the Palestinian authority to provide assistance to people with special needs are undermined by ongoing Israeli assaults.
Mansour went on to describe Palestine's plan for achieving its goal of amplifying the voices of people with special needs, stating that Palestinian officials have passed several laws and put in place plans to combat prejudice and the marginalization of people with special needs in both the public and private sectors, including the fields of education, health, and employment.
The diplomat also emphasized that the Palestinian Authority has also taken steps to make it easier for people with special needs to be included in public schools, higher education, and vocational training.
The Palestinian envoy emphasized that many Palestinian youths and children have become maimed as a result of brutal attacks carried out by Israeli occupation forces and armed settlers, in addition to the widespread and systematic tactic of using excessive force as part of a shoot-to-kill policy.
Read next: “'Israel' Ripped My Eye Out; I Want it Back”
In violation of international law, Israeli soldiers deliberately fire live bullets at Palestinians, including women, children, and people with special needs.
The IOF’s shoot-to-kill policy was already flexible and frequently resulted in the killings of Palestinians without justification or proportionality, and its use has now increased under Netanyahu's latest government. It is a norm for Israeli occupation forces to pull the trigger knowing that they are shielded from any accountability.
Video: Occupation assaults special needs Palestinian in Sheikh Jarrah
