The human rights situation in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem, is “the worst and most critical” since 1948, because of the practices of the Israeli occupation, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday.
In a speech before the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Abbas said: “The people’s anger is an inevitable result of the Israeli violations and crimes as well as the failure of the international community to end the Palestinian people’s injustice and suffering.”
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Rising tensions in the Occupied Territories have led to dozens of deaths and hundreds of clashes.
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Abbas stressed that the continuation of the current situation in the Palestinian territories is “something that cannot be accepted”, that would destroy all what has remained of peace based on the principle of a two-state solution.
“Unless the Palestinian people enjoyed freedom, dignity and full sovereignty on their national soil, space, water and borders, no one will enjoy peace, security or stability,” Abbas added.
“Conducting negotiations for the sake of negotiations” is a “waste of time”, he added, stressing that what is needed is to put an end to the Israeli occupation in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy.
He called on the United Nations, its member states and all its international bodies and agencies, to strongly and decisively intervene and establish a special protection technique for the Palestinian people, “immediately and urgently”.