UN report: Israel's occupation of the West Bank is illegal and a grave violation
A UN report said that Israel violated the standards of international law to establish its occupation of the West Bank, by seeking to annex lands, violating the de facto rights of the Palestinian people, and practicing apartheid against them, stressing that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank is illegal under international law.
A new report by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Palestinian People called for immediate and unconditional Israeli withdrawal from the occupied West Bank.
The report stated that the Israeli occupation of the West Bank is illegal under international law, noting that Israel violated the standards of international law to establish the occupation in the West Bank, by seeking to annex lands, violations of the rights of the Palestinian people under occupation, and apartheid practices.
“The report concludes that Israel is not abiding by the laws and that the administration of the occupation has become illegal,” Michael Lynk, former UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, told the committee while speaking about the report.
He added: "Because the occupation is illegal, the consequences must be the immediate and unconditional complete withdrawal of Israeli military forces, the withdrawal of settlers, the repeal of all discriminatory laws, and the dismantling of the military administrative system."
Both the West Bank and Jerusalem have been under Israeli occupation since 1967, and in 1980 Israel officially annexed East Jerusalem unilaterally, and weeks ago it approved a plan to expand settlement in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
“Israel’s behavior in the occupied territories, which is characterized by the long-term nature of the occupation and its policies and plans to build settlements, increases the violation of the right to self-determination,” the report said.
For his part, Riyad Mansour, Permanent Representative of Palestine to the United Nations, said during the session that "the welcome report is a very strong and extensively studied legal argument about the legitimacy of the occupation."
World Health Organization : 34 thousand measles cases in Yemen and an increase in the number of deaths
A World Health Organization report issued on Thursday indicated that 413 people died of measles in Yemen, amid a noticeable increase in the number of infected people compared to previous years. The infection is spreading among children, especially with the apparent lack of vaccinations.
On Thursday, the World Health Organization announced that it had monitored 413 deaths from measles in Yemen, and about 34,000 cases of the same disease during the past 7 months.
The UN organization noted "an increase in cases of measles and rubella among children in Yemen."
The number of suspected cases of measles and rubella in Yemen from the beginning of this year until the end of last July reached 34,300, according to the organization’s statement.
The statement indicated that the deaths recorded in the current year amounted to 413 deaths, compared to about 27 thousand injuries and 220 deaths in 2022.
The increase in cases this year comes in light of the economic deterioration, low income, displacement and camp conditions in Yemen.
In addition, the collapse of the "overburdened health system in Yemen and low vaccination rates" contribute to an increase in infections and deaths, as the statement indicated.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that appears due to a virus present in the nose and throat. It is easily transmitted during sneezing and speaking, and it is one of the serious diseases, especially in children.
In mid-April, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Yemen announced that 77 children had died and more than 9,000 others had been infected with measles in the country, from early 2023 until mid-April.
According to the WHO-UNICEF immunization coverage estimate for 2022, 27% of children under one year of age in Yemen are not immunized against measles and rubella, and have not received the minimum set of vaccines for full protection.
Yemen has been witnessing a war for 9 years between government forces and the Houthi group, leaving difficult humanitarian and health conditions, in addition to a sharp deterioration in the poor country's economy.
As of the end of 2021, the war has claimed 377,000 lives and inflicted losses on Yemen's economy of $126 billion, according to the United Nations, and most of the country's population, numbering about 30 million people, have become dependent on aid, in one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
Beirut : Tensions between Lebanon and Israel and the Security Council extends the mission of “UNIFIL” for one year
Senior White House Adviser Amos Hochstein said today, Thursday, that the United States is looking into the possibility of resolving the long-standing border dispute between Lebanon and Israel.
At the end of a two-day visit to Lebanon , Hochstein said he had visited southern Lebanon to "understand and learn more about what is required to be able to achieve a possible outcome" and that he would listen to "the other side," likely referring to Israel.
The American official's tour remained a focus of anticipation, as Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdollahian arrived in Beirut a few hours later than his supposed date, to hold a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib, and the Secretary General of Hezbollah. Hassan Nasrallah.
Hochstein, who met Berri, Mikati, and Energy Minister Walid Fayyad, met with Army Commander General Joseph Aoun for a "fruitful working dinner," according to the US embassy, which saw "the dedication of highly qualified soldiers as crucial to Lebanon's security and stability," and affirmed "commitment to continue The security partnership between the United States and Lebanon.
In the morning, Hockstein headed to the south, where he met with the Commander of the International Forces (UNIFIL) and toured the Blue Line, before returning and meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The American envoy seemed keen to show a tourist face to his visit, and this was first translated by his picture with Ambassador Dorothy Shea in a seafood restaurant in Raouche, and then by his move to Baalbek Citadel to visit its archaeological sites.
If the American website “Axios” talked about Hockstein’s work to calm tensions on the border between Lebanon and Israel, the talks addressed the need to enhance stability and the aspiration to continue the path of oil and gas exploration and extend the mandate of UNIFIL, in light of the postponement of the extension session twice for the international forces whose mandate expires at the end of August. /August.
It was reported that Hochstein wanted to reach a solution to the contentious points on the Blue Line after his success in the maritime demarcation process, but the American envoy did not escape accusations that he was conveying directions that the West wanted in support of Israel, and that he did not understand the reason for Lebanon's request to cancel the paragraph that gives the international force freedom of movement. Considering that Lebanon's request to name northern Ghajar as an outskirt of the town of Mari is not logical because Israel confirmed that there is a large geographical distance between the two regions. It was also reported that Hochstein, as part of his quest for calm, stressed the importance of removing Hezbollah's tent from the Shebaa Farms.
These developments come as the Lebanese delegation, which returned from New York, considered that it had been deceived after it considered that it had achieved a diplomatic achievement by adding the phrase “with appreciation for continued coordination with the Lebanese government” to the paragraph related to the freedom of movement of UNIFIL, to show that the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Britain objected to this amendment. Contrary to the French promise that the consultations resulted in the adoption of Lebanon's observations.
The UN Security Council extended UNIFIL’s mission for one year by a majority of 13 votes, with Russia and China abstaining from voting. The text of the resolution stated: “We reaffirm the necessity of deploying the Lebanese army effectively, permanently and quickly in southern Lebanon.” He added: “We urge the government of Israel to expedite the withdrawal of its army from northern Ghajar and the adjacent area north of the Blue Line,” without mentioning the expropriation of the town of al-Mari, as Lebanon requested.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Minister arrived at Rafic Hariri International Airport, coming from Damascus, on an official visit to Lebanon, during which he would meet with a number of officials. He was received at the airport by the representative of the Speaker of Parliament, Representative Ayoub Hamid, and the two representatives, Ali Ammar and Ibrahim al-Moussawi from Hezbollah. The Director of Protocol at the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Abeer Al-Ali, and the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, headed a delegation from the embassy.
From the airport, Abdullahian confirmed that “during the discussions that we will hold in Lebanon, we will urge the various parties to reach understandings that lead to the election of a president of the republic,” and pointed out that “Lebanon’s leaders are the ones who must decide about electing a president of the republic.” He wished “good, reform and development for Lebanon,” expecting “various regional and international bodies to support Lebanon economically and commercially to improve the economic situation in the country.” He stressed, “We are confident in the ability of the Lebanese leaders and people to make the correct political decision to elect a president of the republic.” He revealed that “during the discussions we held with Saudi officials, we heard positive and constructive statements from them regarding support for Lebanon,” calling on “all countries to cooperate with and support Lebanon,” saying, “Iran will continue its strong support for Lebanon.”
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