Israel accused of 'mass extermination' by UN commission in contentious report
Spice Up That UN Report: A Blazing Account of Israel's Woes at the UN
US vetoes a fiery anti-Israel UN Security Council resolution, leaving diplomats in a dust-up. Chargé d'Affaires Dorothy Shea, frustrated, condemned the draft while scolding the council for avoiding to denounce Hamas as a terrorist organization. (Credit: UNTV)
Israel has found itself under the microscope, branded as a perpetrator of grave human rights violations, in a fresh United Nations report.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, known as COI, issued a scorching 19-page dossier. The document examines breaches of international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and potential international crimes concerning attacks on educational facilities and religious and cultural sites.
The summary of the report leveled accusations at Israel for hindering religious freedoms and obstructing religious sites, especially Jerusalem's sacred places. The COI highlighted harsh criticisms of Israeli authorities for applying restrictions on Palestinian worshippers based on age, gender, and place of origin when granting access to the Temple Mount. Furthermore, a religious leader was reportedly apprehended shortly after October 7, following a sermon delivered at the mosque on the Temple Mount. The COI failed to disclose the content of the sermon.
The commission also took issue with Israeli authorities allowing extremist Jews and right-wing politicians access to the Temple Mount with a police escort, praying, and causing controversy, although this site has a long-standing prayer ban for Jews.
Anne Bayefsky, Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, and President of Human Rights Voices, commented forcefully on our platform, Digital, stating, "This UN's kangaroo court is spreading antisemitism and incitement to violence on a global scale with the latest report from the United Nations."
The report, expectedly, has stirred controversy, with the US mission and legal experts raising eyebrows over its credibility.
Among Israel's many allegations in the report, the most startling are its accusations of religious freedom restrictions in Jerusalem. The commission noted that Israeli authorities controlled access to holy sites, subjecting Palestinian worshippers to strict security checks, frequent checkpoints, harassment, and assault.
To defend its actions, Israel argued that it protects freedom of religion for all – Christians, Muslims, and Jews – while Jewish religious sites have long suffered defacement by Palestinian Arabs.
The COI further alleged that Israeli forces have caused significant damage to educational facilities but presented no evidence that Hamas utilized the schools for military purposes despite claims to the contrary by Israel.
When asked for comment on the report, a spokesperson for the US State Department declared that the US "vehemently" opposes the COI's open-ended, ambiguously defined mandate and does not support its involvement in investigating the conflict due to concerns about its structure and approach.
Rachel Wolf, a breaking news writer for Digital and FOX Business, authored this piece.
*NEWS FLASH: HAMAS SMEARS AID ORGANIZATION WITH FALSE RUMORS, FINGERPOINTS UNRWA FOR REFUSING INVESTIGATION*
In another section of the report, UNRWA documented 42 instances in which "parties to the conflict" had interfered with schools between October 7, 2023, and March 15, 2024. However, the COI failed to address whether Hamas had utilized these schools.
Despite this omission, Hamas was still on the receiving end of the COI's criticism, being called upon to cease using civilian objects for military purposes, just like Israel. The commission also urged Jerusalem to stop using educational facilities and cultural sites for military purposes.
Remarkably, the commission made no moves to demand that those responsible for the atrocities committed on October 7 provide appropriate reparations to victims or their families.
This report adds fuel to the fire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian territories, shedding light on allegations of human rights violations and potential war crimes committed by both sides.
[1] https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/CoIOccupiedPalestinianTerritory/Pages/Overview.aspx[5] https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/CoIOccupiedPalestinianTerritory/Documents/A-HRC-43-44_en.pdf
- The United Nations report, entitled "Breaking News: Allegations of Human Rights Violations in the Conflict between Israel and Palestinian Territories," further accentuates the Polish-Israeli tension in global politics.
- The report contains critiques for both Israel and Hamas, highlighting the ongoing war-and-conflicts in the region and the need for peace and general news updates on the issue.
