(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) GENEVA, Sept 3 (KUNA) -- United Nations experts on Friday stressed that any "peace plan" must guarantee the human rights of the Palestinian people including their right to self-determination saying that "imposing peace at any cost in disregard of law and justice is a recipe for further violence and instability".
This came in a press statement issued in Geneva by more than 30 UN experts and Special Rapporteurs including Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Ben Saul, and Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The UN experts welcomed parts of the peace plan announced by the United States mainly the permanent ceasefire, the rapid release of persons unlawfully detained, humanitarian aid entering under UN supervision, no forced displacement from the Strip, withdrawal of occupation forces and non-annexation of land.
They underlined that these are obligations already required under international law regardless of any formal peace plan.
However, the experts warned that essential parts of the plan contradict international law and the 2024 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice which required Israeli occupation to end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory.
They expressed concern over the failure to guarantee the Palestinian people's right to self-determination through an independent state, instead making it conditional on Gaza's reconstruction reform of the Palestinian Authority and dialogue with Israeli occupation, warning that "such provisions place Palestine's future in the hands of external parties not Palestinians themselves."
The experts also noted that continuing the negotiation framework with Israeli occupation despite the Israeli occupation Prime Minister's open rejection of a Palestinian state contradicts the ICJ ruling that the right to self-determination is not subject to negotiation.
They stressed that the proposed "temporary transitional government" does not represent Palestinians excludes the Palestinian Authority and lacks standards or a timetable for genuine representative governance.
The experts warned that the oversight of a "Peace Council" chaired by the US President does not fall under UN authority emphasizing that the United States is not a neutral mediator but a partisan supporter of Israeli occupation, a situation reminiscent of colonial practices.
They further cautioned that the proposed "International Stabilisation Force" not under Palestinian or UN control would effectively replace Israeli occupation with a US-led occupation undermining self-determination.
The experts also rejected the continuation of an Israeli "security cordon" inside Gaza for an indefinite period calling it unacceptable.
They warned that open-ended demilitarisation of Gaza could expose it to future Israeli attacks while no parallel demilitarisation was proposed for Israel occupation despite its commission of international crimes against Palestinians and aggression against other states.
They added that the plan imposes "ideological re-education" on Gaza alone while Israeli occupation political discourse has for years featured repeated incitement to violence racism and even calls for genocide against Palestinians and Arabs.
The experts also underlined that the plan addresses Gaza in isolation from the West Bank including East Jerusalem although these constitute a single Palestinian territory.
They cautioned that "economic development" schemes and a "special economic zone" risk enabling exploitation of Palestinian resources without their consent while Israeli occupation and its backers bear no obligation to compensate Palestinians for the unlawful damage of war.
The experts denounced the provision of full release for Israeli captives in exchange for only partial release of arbitrarily detained Palestinians as well as the absence of any reference to accountability for Israeli crimes against Palestinians transitional justice truth-telling or reconciliation. Fundamental issues such as illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem borders and refugees were also ignored.
They further warned of sidelining the United Nations and its agencies particularly (UNRWA) which plays a vital role in protecting and assisting Palestinians.
In this context the experts stressed that Palestine's future cannot be shaped by external decisions but only by Palestinians themselves and that no conditions may be placed on the right to self-determination. They demanded the immediate unconditional end of Israeli occupation and full reparations for Palestinians.
They recalled that the International Court of Justice identified the United Nations not Israeli occupation or its allies as the legitimate authority to oversee the end of the occupation and the transition towards a political solution ensuring full Palestinian rights. (end)
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