Background 

Niger and Algeria, in their respective roles of Chair of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Chair of the Arab Group in New York, have requested a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly to have a debate on the situation in the Palestine. The debate will take place on Thursday 20 May 2021 at 10h00 New York time. 

ActionAid open letter to Ministries of Foreign Affairs on UN General Assembly 67^th meeting on Palestine, Thursday 20^th May. 

Jakarta, 19 May 2021 

Dear Madam, Sir, 

YAPPIKA-ActionAid Indonesia condemns the Israeli occupation of Palestine and its continuing aggression against the people of Palestine as well as the flagrant destruction of residences and infrastructure, whether schools, kindergartens, vocational centres, hospitals and primary health centres, COVID-19 response facilities, water, desalination and electricity networks and plants. Amnesty International has recently called to investigate these attacks as war crimes. The United Nations Officer of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHCR) found credible allegations of war crimes committed in the previous Gaza war. 

Since 10 May, OHCHR that 213 Palestinians, including 62 children, 35 women of whom three pregnant and 116 men, have been killed in Gaza. The attacks have also resulted in the displacement of 72,000 Palestinians, including 47, 000 seeking protection in 58 UNRWA schools across Gaza. We are deeply concerned that Israel is, once again, in violation of its legal obligations as an occupying force under international law, with its bombing of essential infrastructure, which has left Palestinian people without access to basic services already undermined after years an illegal blockade imposed on Gaza’s population.  

The military aggression began in East Jerusalem with the imminent risk of illegal eviction of four Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah and has engulfed all the occupied Palestinian territories. We support the UN General Assembly initiative to have a debate on Thursday 20 May about “Question of Palestine” (agenda item 37) and “Situation in the Middle East” (agenda item 38) which has been taken after the United States has repeatedly used its veto at the United Nations Security Council against a resolution on the situation in Palestine. 

As our representative we request you to actively participate in the debate and propose the UN General Assembly to pass a resolution asking the Government of Israel for: 

·       An immediate ceasefire, stopping the targeting of civilians and Israel’s blockade policy in Gaza.  

·       The immediate, safe, and unfettered movement of humanitarian and medical personnel to conduct rapid life-saving interventions. Safe access is essentially needed to support people in need of humanitarian assistance and medical support, as Gaza’s health sector is suffering to meet urgent needs. 

·       A stop of all illegal evictions, including those in Sheikh Jarrah and other parts of the occupied West Bank. 

Israel has not complied with more than 40 resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, and with more than 100 resolutions of the General Assembly, therefore we ask you to use all bilateral diplomatic channels to ask Israel to stop its military aggression.  

Israel must end the war against the Palestinian people, stop the bombing of its infrastructure and lift the illegal blockade of Gaza and end its discriminatory apartheid policies. As an occupying power, Israel must abide by its legal obligations and must be held accountable for current and past violations, as citizens of Indonesia we ask you to represent us by using your voice and vote at the UNGA 67^th plenary meeting to demand the same. 

Yours sincerely, 

 Fransisca Fitri

YAPPIKA-ActionAid Indonesia  

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