UN Special Committee on Israeli practices in occupied territories warns of a second Nakba

“Israel continues to inflict unimaginable suffering on the people living under its occupation, whilst rapidly expanding confiscation of land as part of its wider colonial aspirations. What we are witnessing could very well be another Nakba”, warned a UN Special Committee* as it concluded its annual field mission to Amman.

Appointed by the General Assembly in 1968 to investigate Israeli practices in Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, the Special Committee heard firsthand from numerous interlocutors how policies, actions and practices of the Government of Israel continue to lead to mass and indiscriminate murder of civilians, enforced disappearances, ethnic cleansing and the total subjugation of those under its occupation and apartheid system.

“According to testimonies, it is evident that the use of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including sexual violence, is a systematic practice of the Israeli army and security forces, and is widespread in Israeli prisons and military detention camps,” the Special Committee said. “The methods read as a playbook of how to try to humiliate, derogate, and strike fear into the hearts of individuals; first comes sexual harassment, inappropriate touching of private parts, then sexual abuse, then the threat of rape, and then rape itself, including gang rape, and often with foreign objects such a sticks and batons, against men, women, and even children.”

The Committee’s visit took place as the Government of Israel continued to implement a total blockade on aid for Gaza, weaponising the right to food. “It is hard to imagine a world in which a government would implement such depraved policies to starve a population to death, whilst trucks of food are sitting only a few kilometres away. Yet, this is the sick reality for those in Gaza.”

The Committee expressed regret that Israel did not respond to its request for consultations or provide access to Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territory or the occupied Syrian Golan.

“Israel’s persistent refusal to engage with us and other UN mandated bodies, or to abide by resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly and binding orders and advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice, reveals its total disregard for international law and its obligations as a Member State of the United Nations,” the Special Committee said.

“Israel clearly feels it has full impunity to commit horrendous crimes and will never be held accountable for its actions, policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the Syria Golan,” it said.

“The occupation must end. Only when this happens will grave human rights violations end,” the Special Committee said. “Impunity cannot be accepted.”

The Special Committee urged States with influence to use all political, economic pressure and all means at their disposal to force the Israeli Government to stop its unlawful policies and practices, and hold it accountable for the vast war crimes and crimes against humanity already committed.

“The humanitarian blockade must end now, and UNRWA must be able to perform its unique mandate and deliver essential services. Arms sales and military support must also stop, including via private companies and state-owned enterprises. The world cannot stay silent,” the Special Committee said.

Read the full End of mission statement here.

The Committee will present its next report to the General Assembly in October 2025.

* The United Nations Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories was established by the UN General Assembly in December 1968 to examine the human rights situation in the occupied Syrian Golan, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

The Special Committee is composed of three Member States: Malaysia, Senegal and Sri Lanka. This year the Member States are represented by H.E. Mr. Ahmad Faisal Muhamad, Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations in New York, H.E. Mr. Coly Seck, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations in New York, and Mr. Chatura Perera, chargé d’ affairs of the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York (Acting-Chair of the Special Committee.)