Geneva: Palestine's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Ibrahim Khreishi, has issued an urgent appeal to international officials and organizations regarding the Israeli legislation that allows the death penalty for Palestinian detainees. The letters, sent to UN member states' missions, international organizations, and relevant UN bodies, emphasize the severe implications and illegality of this law within the context of the Israeli occupation.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Ambassador Khreishi addressed the correspondence to a range of influential bodies, including all diplomatic missions, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and leaders of organizations such as the International Labor Organization, the World Health Organization, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. He also reached out to various UN human rights treaty bodies, highlighting the arbitrary policies of the Israeli occupation against Palestinian detainees and urging immediate and decisive international action.
The letters express concern over the new Israeli legislation permitting the death penalty by hanging for Palestinian detainees, describing it as a significant escalation within a colonial framework characterized by racial segregation. The communication asserts that this law is a grave violation of international law, infringing on fundamental rights such as the right to life and the prohibition of torture and discrimination.
Furthermore, the letters review the dire conditions faced by over 9,600 detainees held by Israel, including women and children, who endure torture, ill-treatment, psychological pressure, medical neglect, and other abuses. These conditions are compounded by administrative detention and the lack of access to crucial organizations, especially the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The letters draw on international legal frameworks, including human rights charters and treaties, and stress the responsibility of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to ensure compliance and effective implementation. They reference the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion, which confirms the illegality of Israeli practices and underscores the international community's duty not to recognize or support such actions.
Ambassador Khreishi's letters call on states to fulfill their legal obligations by ending the occupation, protecting Palestinian detainees and citizens, and pressuring Israel to revoke the death penalty law. They highlight the importance of allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross unimpeded access to all detention sites and urge joint efforts to safeguard the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people.
The letters also advocate for international organizations to publicly condemn the new law, emphasize its inconsistency with international law, and demand its repeal. They call for enhanced monitoring, documentation, and the issuance of urgent reports on the conditions of detainees, as well as integrating the issue into political dialogues and public communications to uphold the principle of non-recognition and prevent assistance for violations.
