Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Delivers Palestine’s Address to the Human Rights Council and Calls for Holding the Israeli Occupation Accountable

Geneva – Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Dr. Varsen Shaheen, delivered Palestine’s address before the 58th session of the Human Rights Council, highlighting the grave and unprecedented dangers facing the Palestinian cause amid Israel’s relentless and systematic assault. The Minister condemned the occupying power’s ongoing campaign of mass killings, destruction, forced displacement, and starvation, made possible by the international community’s double standards that shield it from accountability.

Minister Shaheen underscored that Israel’s unlawful occupation is committing war crimes and genocide, with its massacres in Gaza claiming the lives of more than 180,000 Palestinians, either martyred or wounded. Meanwhile, two million displaced Palestinians face the imminent threat of starvation under Israel’s crippling siege, as hospitals, schools, and vital infrastructure have been systematically obliterated. In the West Bank, ethnic cleansing continues through apartheid policies, military raids, and the forced displacement of over 40,000 Palestinians in the northern West Bank. This is exacerbated by a surge in settler brutal attacks, home demolitions, and the ruthless torture of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detentions as part of a deliberate policy of slow death. Meanwhile, Jerusalem remains under an orchestrated campaign of Judaization, aimed at erasing its Palestinian identity and presence.

Minister Shaheen called on the international community to act swiftly against Israel’s attempts to dismantle UNRWA, warning that such efforts aim to erase the Palestinian refugee issue and undermine the right of return. She also urged immediate protection for Palestinian prisoners facing severe torture and systematic violations in Israeli prisons.

Shaheen called on the international community to immediately enforce the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice, implement its advisory opinion, and strengthen the role of international justice institutions, including the International Criminal Court. She emphasized the need to prevent any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people and to hold war criminals accountable. Additionally, she urged states to actively participate in the upcoming Conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions in March, ensuring its outcomes are binding and actionable, as well as the anticipated Two-State Solution Conference in New York. She further stressed the urgent necessity of imposing a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, halting all trade with illegal settlements, and prosecuting those responsible for war crimes before the International Criminal Court. Concluding her speech, Shaheen reaffirmed that the Palestinian people will continue their legitimate struggle for freedom and independence, emphasizing that the occupation is destined to end.