Resignation of the UN Commission of Inquiry into Israeli Violations in Palestine

The three members of the UN Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories announced their resignation, saying it was time to renew its composition.

The committee's chair, South African Navi Pillay (83 years old), cited her advanced age as the main reason for her resignation, while Australian Chris Sidoti (74 years old) described the move as necessary for restructuring, and Indian Milon Kothari expressed his pride in his tenure.

The committee was established in 2021 and has been subjected to sharp Israeli criticism, with Israel describing it as biased.

The President of the Human Rights Council called on Member States to submit new candidates before 31 August, with the appointments to be made in November, following the submission of the final report.

Council spokesman Pascal Sim stated that the goal is to appoint the new experts in early November, after the three outgoing members submit their final report at the upcoming UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

The UN Independent Commission of Inquiry confirmed in mid-March that Israel had committed acts of genocide and violations against Palestinians in all occupied territories since October 7.

During public hearings in Geneva, the committee stated that the Israeli army had a map of health facilities and their functions, which had been deliberately destroyed. The committee confirmed that it had evidence of deliberate Israeli attacks on health institutions and facilities.

She pointed out that the international community is ignoring and denying the violations taking place against the Palestinians.

Palestinian prisoners are also subjected to physical and psychological abuse in a manner that degrades their dignity, and are prevented from raising their voices to demand accountability for the crimes committed against them and to ensure their non-recurrence.

The committee added in its previous report that any child born today in Gaza faces the risk of death, whether during infancy or adulthood, in addition to the health problems children suffer from as a result of water pollution, cold, and hunger.

The outgoing chair of the UN commission, Navi Pillay, said that the exonerating statements and actions of Israeli leaders, and the ineffectiveness of the military justice system in prosecuting cases and convicting perpetrators, send a clear message to members of the Israeli security forces that they can continue to commit such acts without fear of accountability.

Hamas and Palestinian armed factions have also been accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity against the hostages, while Israel rejects these accusations and describes the committee as biased and hostile.