On 19 June 2024, as part of its engagement with the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, Al-Haq delivered an oral intervention under Item 2, during the interactive dialogue with the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. 

Despite recognising Israel’s commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the statement highlighted the Commission’s failure to investigate the ongoing genocide, noting that the gravity of the situation epitomises Israel’s colonial violence and extends beyond violations of international humanitarian law. As such, Al-Haq called for the appointment of genocide experts to investigate the ongoing genocide and reiterated the need to address the root causes of Israel’s institutionalised violence, rooted in 76 years of ongoing Nakba and Zionist settler-colonialism and apartheid. 

Al-Haq further urged Member States to support the Commission in fulfilling its mandate, including by providing necessary resources, and ensuring its access to Palestine as required by the International Court of Justice. Additionally, Al-Haq called upon States to urgently enact effective measures to enact a ceasefire; impose a two-way arms embargo and diplomatic and economic sanctions on Israel, and to hold Israeli perpetrators accountable for their crimes.

Al-Haq’s full statement reads as follows:

Thank you, Mr. President.

Madam Chair of the Commission,

Recognising that Israel’s attacks on Gaza, “must be seen in context”, your report rightly highlights the decades-long Israeli violence against the Palestinian people, mainly denial of their right to self-determination. 

However, despite recognising Israel’s commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity and intent to forcibly transfer the Palestinian population in Gaza, and despite the ICJ’s finding of a plausible genocide and three Provisional Measures orders, your report fails to investigate the ongoing genocide.

The gravity of the situation extends beyond violations of international humanitarian law and represents the peak of Israel’s colonial violence.

As such, we call on the Commission to urgently address the ongoing genocide in Gaza, including by appointing genocide experts and investigators, and examine the root causes of Israel’s violence, embedded in Zionist settler-colonialism and apartheid.

We call on Member States to support the Commission in advancing accountability for the Palestinian people within the context of 76 years of ongoing Nakba, including by providing sufficient resources, and ensuring its access to Palestine to urgently investigate atrocity crimes, especially the ongoing genocide.

We further call on States to take urgent measures to impose a ceasefire, a two-way arms embargo and diplomatic and economic sanctions on Israel to end the ongoing genocide; and hold Israeli perpetrators accountable for their crimes.

Thank you.