The United Nations Human Rights Council stated that there are atleast 160 Palestinian children languishing in Israeli prisons.
United Nations (UN) expert on Monday slammed Israel and said that it has transformed the occupied Palestinian territories into an “open-air prison” by imprisoning more than 800,000 Palestinians since 1967.
The United Nations Human Rights Council stated that there are at least 160 Palestinian children languishing in Israeli prisons.
Albanese presented a report on the arbitrary detention of Palestinians, and said Israel is treating occupied Palestinian territory as an “outdoor prison”.
According to Albanese’s statement to the council, “Israel’s military occupation has made entire occupied Palestinian territory into an open-air prison, where Palestinians are constantly confined, surveilled, and disciplined.”
Albanese also said that several Palestinians were considered guilty without evidence, arrested without warrants, detained without charges or trial, and brutalized in Israeli custody.
🚨The UN 🇺🇳 Special Rapporteur @FranceskAlbs told the @UN_HRC that the widespread & systematic arbitrariness of the occupation’s carceral regime is yet another manifestation of Israel’s inherently illegal occupation & that needs to be brought to an end. pic.twitter.com/aVjCFMb9C8
— UN Palestinian Rights Committee (@UNISPAL) July 10, 2023
#Palestine: in her first report to the @UN Human Rights Council, Special Rapporteur @FranceskAlbs chose to focus on arbitrary deprivation of liberty "because of the gravity of this phenomenon in the occupied Palestinian territory."#HRC53 pic.twitter.com/fveaCvtXzb
— United Nations Human Rights Council 📍 #HRC53 (@UN_HRC) July 10, 2023
In a summary of the special rapporteur’s presentation, the United Nations stated that Israel’s practice of unlawfully imprisoning Palestinians was “tantamount to international crimes” and “required an urgent investigation by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.”
“More so because these offences seemed to be part of a plan to “de-Palestinize” the area. The summary added, “This threatened the existence of a people as a cohesive national group.”
Albanese described an Israeli policy as an “apartheid imposition on the Palestinians”.
The special rapporteur also urged governments to recognise illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and hold those responsible for such illegal settlements for changing the demography of Palestinian territory.
However, according to the UN summary, Israel was not present for Albanese’s presentation and has repeatedly denied UN criticism.