Iran Calls for Ending Israel’s Occupation

RNA – “We call on the international community once again to prevent continuation of Zionist regime’s occupation of Palestinian territories and Golan Heights,” Maleki said.

Maleki made the remarks in a statement on November 7 read out in the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (4th Committee) on Item 54: ‘Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories’.

The full text of Maleki’s statement is as follows:

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Mr. Chairman,

At the outset, I would like to begin by thanking the Chair and Members of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories for their dedication to the work of the Committee.

I associate myself with the statement made by the distinguished delegation of Venezuela to the United Nation on behalf of the Non-align Movement.

The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to place a great emphasis on the importance of the role and the function of the Special Committee, as an integral part of the United Nations mandated to investigate the Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs of the occupied territories.

Mr. Chairman,

We are seriously concerned about the horrible findings of the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories (A/72/43106), as well as those in the reports of the Special Committee (A/72/539), and other relevant UN reports (A/72/565 and A/72/564). All of these reports include disturbing findings of how Israeli regime, the occupying power, had been treating the innocent Palestinian people. For example, as mentioned in paragraph 2 of the report of the United Nations Secretary-General (A/72/565), in the reporting period from 1 June 2016 to 31 May 2017, 63 Palestinian people, including 20 children, had been killed. In other words, children comprise about 1/3 of total Palestinians who were cruelly killed by the occupying power in that period!

Mr. Chairman,

As a result of settlement expansion by the occupier regime Palestinians are deprived of their lands and properties, forcibly evicted, and denied access to essential services. Palestinians also are subjected to violence, trespassing, harassment, and intimidation by Israeli settlers.

The 11-year-old illegal and inhumane land and sea blockade of Gaza continued to negatively affect the lives of the entire Palestinian civilian population in Gaza. Therefore, it is necessary that the Gaza blockade and all closures to be lifted. Furthermore, all practices that amount to collective punishment, including restrictions on freedom of movement across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, demolition of homes, residency revocations, closures of towns, etc. should be ended.

Mr. Chairman,

The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the continued Illegal settlement expansion and land confiscation by occupier regime in the occupied Palestinian territory and in the occupied Syrian Golan which is in violation of the Occupier’s obligations under international law.

The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the Golan as an integral part of the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. Iran reaffirms that all discriminatory and illegal policies towards the Syrian population, the presence of the regime’s army bases in and around Syrian residential and civilian areas, the construction and expansion of settlements constitute a flagrant violation of international law, the UN Charter, relevant UN resolutions, and the Fourth Geneva Convention. While condemning the occupation, we urge the international community and all relevant international organizations to put pressure on the occupier regime to withdraw completely from all occupied Arab lands, including the Palestinian territory.

Mr. Chairman,

In conclusion, my delegation emphasizes that the International community, in particular, the United Nations, must uphold its political and legal responsibilities to take due measures to put an end to occupation in all occupied Arab lands including the occupied Palestine territories.

Finally, I would like to reiterate my Government’s unwavering and full support to the Palestinian people in their rightful and legitimate resistance against the occupation and for their just quest for the exercise of their inalienable rights to self-determination.