India at UNHRC welcome ceasefire between Israel, Palestine

India at UNHRC welcomed the diplomatic efforts of the international community and regional countries that have resulted in bringing a ceasefire between Israel and armed groups in Gaza.

New Delhi:India at United Nation Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Thursday said that it remains firmly committed to global promotion and protection of Human Rights, which are best pursued through dialogue, consultation and cooperation amongst the states.

Addressing the 30th special session of 'Human Rights Council: The grave human rights situation in the Occupied Palestine Territory, including East Jerusalem,' Indramani Pandey, Permanent Representative to UN in Geneva said, “India remains firmly committed to global promotion and protection of human rights, which are best pursued through dialogue, consultation and cooperation amongst the states”.

He further highlighted that India calls on all parties to show extreme restraint, desist from actions that aggravate tensions and refrain from any further attempts to unilaterally change the existing status quo, including in East Jerusalem and its neighbourhoods.

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“We remain concerned about the continuing violence in Jerusalem, especially at Haram Al-Sharif/ Temple Mount and other Palestinian territories, and about the possible eviction process in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem, an area which is part of an arrangement facilitated by the UN”, he reiterated.

He further stated that the indiscriminate rocket firings from Gaza targeting the civilian population in Israel, which India has condemned, and the retaliatory airstrikes into Gaza in the last two weeks have caused immense suffering- and resulted in deaths, including that of an Indian national- a caregiver in Israel city of Ashkelon.

“We deeply mourn the loss of civilian lives resulting from the violence and urge the international community’s immediate attention to providing humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian civilian population, particularly in Gaza.

India continues to provide developmental and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian Authority, including Covid-19 related assistance, bilaterally, and through our dedicated contribution to the UN”, he told the members present at the UNHRC.

India remains firmly convinced that dialogue remains the only viable option that can effectively address the issues confronting the region and its people. Recent developments have once again underscored the need for immediate resumption of dialogue between Israel and Palestine, aimed at realizing the establishment of two states living side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders", diplomat Pandey added.

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Earlier on May 16, addressing an open debate at the United Nation Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, ambassador TS Tirumurti, India’s permanent representative to the UN said, “The ongoing violence has caused immense suffering and resulted in deaths, including of women and children”, adding that India strongly condemns all acts of violence, including indiscriminate rocket firings from Gaza and the retaliatory strikes.

“We urge both sides to show extreme restraint, desist from actions that exacerbate tensions, and refrain from attempts to unilaterally change the existing status quo, including in East Jerusalem and its neighbourhood,” Tirumurti added. The ambassador also reiterated that India supports the just cause of Palestinians and a two-state solution.

Thereafter, Israel and Hamas announced a ceasefire on May 20, ending a horrific 11-day war that caused widespread destruction and violence in the Gaza Strip and brought life in much of Israel and Palestine to a standstill.

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