New York - Saba:
The three members of the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry, charged with monitoring human rights violations in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, announced their resignation from their positions, calling for a renewal of the commission's composition, a UN spokesperson said on Monday.
The commission was established in 2021 and has since been subjected to sharp criticism from the occupying entity, which has repeatedly described it as "biased and politicized".
The outgoing commission chair, South African Judge Navi Pillay (83), a former president of the International Tribunal for Rwanda, cited advanced age among the reasons for her decision to resign.
Australian member Chris Sidoti (74), stated that the time has come to renew the commission's composition.
Indian member Miloon Kothari expressed his "honor to serve on the commission," without providing additional reasons for her resignation.
Following these resignations, the President of the UN Human Rights Council, Jürg Lauber, asked member states to submit nominations for membership in the new committee by August 31, with the goal of appointing the new members in early November, following the presentation of the final report during the UN General Assembly sessions in New York.
The committee concluded, in a report issued in mid-March, that Israel had committed acts of genocide and systematic crimes against Palestinians in the occupied territories since October 7, 2023.
The report confirmed that Israeli attacks deliberately targeted health institutions and facilities, despite the Israeli army possessing a detailed map of these facilities, which the committee documented as evidence of the deliberate targeting of humanitarian infrastructure.
It also noted that Palestinian prisoners were subjected to humiliating physical and psychological abuse, and were denied the right to have their voices heard or to hold perpetrators accountable.
The report stated that newborn babies in Gaza face the risk of death, whether during infancy or from starvation, cold, and water contamination, amid the collapse of the health and livelihood systems.
The Commission stated that justice for victims can only be achieved through the activation of the International Criminal Court, through national courts based on their laws, or through the exercise of universal jurisdiction.
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