Director-General of the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) in London, Mr. Tarek Hamoud, delivered an oral statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) as part of Agenda Item7.

“Israel recently formed its fifth government in three years, which the international community considers the most extreme right-wing, exclusionist, and Jewish settler-supremacist in Israel's history”, said Mr. Hamoud.

“This new government has proposed judicial system overhauls, attacks on religious freedom, and has already repealed laws concerning its own illegal settlement policies. This has led to ministers like Orit Strock endorsing unlawful settlement construction in Gaza”, the statement read.               

“Far-right settlers now hold crucial ministerial positions in the Israeli government, including Bezalel Smotrich, the new finance minister”, proceeded Mr. Hamoud. “Smotrich has publicly praised the recent pogrom against Palestinians in Huwarra, suggested that the Palestinian town should be ‘wiped out’, and claimed that there is ‘no such thing as Palestinian people’ in a speech in France. These statements have been widely condemned by global human rights organizations.”

PRC’s Director urged the Israeli government to comply with the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid.

“In light of remarks on constructing settlements, PRC wishes to underscore that such actions are in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits an occupying force from relocating population into occupied territories”, concluded Mr. Hamoud.

Watch the statement here:

https://youtu.be/M_bnY4qmSSc