Palestinian Ambassador Calls for International Action to Stop Israeli Colonial Terrorism

JAKARTA - The Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) Ambassador Ibrahim Khraishi on Monday sent a letter of urgency to UN agencies, international organizations, and countries calling for concrete action to end Israel's settlement project and increasing colonial terrorism in the occupied West Bank.

The letter was also sent to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), OHCHR Special Procedures Branch, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), OHCHR Treaty Division, Arms Trade Treaty Implementation Support Unit, and the Swiss Permanent Mission in its capacity as Depositary of the Geneva Conventions.

In his letter, the Palestinian Ambassador wrote, Israel continues to wage a genocidal war against the Palestinian people in all occupied Palestinian territories, bombing, killing, injuring, terrorizing, and destroying massively, while at the same time deepening its illegal settler colonial efforts in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, quoted from WAFA (28/7).

On July 24, four Palestinians were killed and at least four others were injured after armed settler militias opened fire on residents trying to defend their homes in the town of al-Tal, near Nablus.

Israeli occupation forces joined the attack, firing with the settlers.

The letter added that the Prime Minister of the Occupation Forces then announced a series of measures including the demolition of houses, forced displacement, the imposition of more checkpoints and restrictions on movement, and the so-called "legalization" of more outposts throughout the West Bank.

Furthermore, Israeli officials have increased their incitement against Palestinians. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for West Bank cities to be "treated the same" as the destroyed Gaza City of Beit Hanoun.

"The settler attacks in the West Bank show that these terrorist militias are not a byproduct of the occupation, but rather its main instrument," the letter said, adding that Israel's political protection of settlers has increased attacks on Palestinian civilians, homes, farmland, and communities, creating a coercive environment aimed at forced displacement and annexation.

Palestinian children, women and men, mothers and fathers, families, humanitarian workers and medical personnel are all systematically targeted by Israel with utter disregard for the sanctity of human life and in serious violation of international law.

"It is becoming clearer: these fanatic Israeli occupiers are waging war against our people together with the Israeli government and the occupation forces, in a coordinated and planned scheme to uproot and confine the Palestinian people into an increasingly narrow space, forcing them to live in ghettos or to be expelled entirely, in a crazy attempt to occupy and annex Palestinian land," the letter said.

The letter added that the Israeli government is actively leading a campaign to arm the settlers and loosen the rules on gun permits, which has led to the settlers being equipped with military-grade weapons, including M16 rifles, pistols, and drones.

It is known that the ICJ Advisory Opinion of July 19, 2024 confirms that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal and that all States have an obligation not to recognize or assist in maintaining this illegal situation.

"These findings require concrete action to ensure that there is no political, military, financial, or commercial support that contributes to its continuation.

In his letter, Ambassador Khraishi called on the international community to ensure that the Occupation Forces fully respect their obligations under international law, including through the urgent and concrete implementation of the ICJ Advisory Opinion and all relevant UN resolutions.

He stressed that this must include an end to illegal occupation and the evacuation of all settlers from occupied Palestinian territory, while supporting accountability efforts, in accordance with domestic and international law, against dual citizens involved in settler terrorism.

Ambassador Khraishi also called for the cessation of all forms of economic and other support to Israeli settlement projects, including prohibiting trade with settlements and adopting appropriate regulatory, financial, and legal measures to ensure that companies under the jurisdiction of the State do not contribute, directly or indirectly, to the construction of settlements, land acquisition, resource exploitation, surveillance, or demolition.

The Palestinian ambassador also highlighted the database mandated by the Human Rights Council as a concrete accountability tool to identify corporate involvement in settlement projects.

He also called for a cessation of the sale, transfer, and diversion of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment to Israel, and stressed that states should also take all necessary measures to prevent the diversion or provision of weapons and related equipment to Israeli settler militias.

Ambassador Khraishi also urged support and strengthening of efforts to monitor and document violations in the occupied Palestinian territories through increased international organization presence on the ground.

He called on countries to pressure Israel to provide full and unhindered access to the Commission of Inquiry, the Special Rapporteur, and the ICRC, while strengthening international protection for Palestinian civilians through concrete measures aimed at preventing further violations and ensuring accountability.