The Arab League announced its support to Palestine’s request to launch an international investigation into “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity”, which were committed against unarmed Palestinian civilians during the Land Day march on Friday.
The Council of the League, in a statement issued unanimously at the end of an extraordinary session at the level of permanent delegates on Tuesday, called on the United Nations Security Council, General Assembly and Secretary-General to establish an international commission of inquiry into the incidents and to ensure that a clear mechanism is put in place to hold Israeli officials accountable for these crimes and to compensate for losses incurred by the unarmed civilian victims.
The Council, chaired by Saudi Arabia, condemned the failure of the UN Security Council to issue a statement condemning the Israeli crimes, stressing the rights of the Palestinian people and calling for an investigation into the attacks on peaceful demonstrators on the anniversary of Land Day.
The statement underlined the need for the Security Council to assume its responsibilities for the maintenance of international peace and security and the implementation of the relevant international resolutions, in particular Resolutions 904 of 1994 and 605 of 1987, which call for the implementation of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and for the international protection of the defenseless Palestinian people.
Acting Saudi Permanent Representative to the Arab League, Badr bin Saud Al-Shammari, said that Saudi Arabia “places the Palestinian issue at the forefront of its concerns, based on the principles of the Arab Peace Initiative, which is aimed at achieving comprehensive and just peace in the Middle East and the restoration of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”
He also underlined the Palestinians’ legitimate right to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital, in line with the resolutions of international legitimacy.
