UN body headed by Lanka calls for urgent confidence building measures between Israel and Palestine

A special UN investigation committee has called for urgent mutual confidence building measures between Israel and Palestine to facilitate peace between the two states.

Sri Lanka's UN Ambassador Kshenuka Senewiratne, who heads the Committee, made these remarks while delivering a special statement to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

Ms. Senewiratne said the Committee is concerned over a rise in human rights violations, violence, and the ‘grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza from the ongoing blockade and closure’.

The Committee is tasked with investigating Israeli activities which affect human rights of Palestinian People and other Arabs of the Occupied Territories.

“Both parties to the conflict must create the necessary environment to facilitate peace’’, Senewiratne urged.

She pointed out that the Committee in its 51^st report had shown that 29 children were killed while 4387 were injured during demonstrations in Gaza within a year since September 2018.

In the West Bank 6 children were killed with 1,238 injured in the same period.

The continued expansion of Israeli statements, the destruction and confiscation of Palestinian property, and the detention of Palestinians had been highlighted with concern in the report.

The Committee also remains concerned about the denial and delay of exit permits to Palestinians to access medical service and other restrictions imposed in this regard, Senawiratne noted.

“We continue to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and hope that the spirit of goodwill will assist them to work together to preserve their national identity amidst immense difficulties they endure,” she said.

Further, she urged that the safety of the civilians in Israel's Occupied Territories must be ensured in accordance with international law and practice.