Israel squarely responsible for the Israel-Palestine conflict: UN Human Rights panel

A UN investigation team on Tuesday said that continuing Israeli occupation of Palestine and discrimination against Palestinians for the decades-long conflict between the two sides is the main hurdle for peace in the region.

In its report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, set by the UN Human Rights Council, the Commission highlighted that what the region has been witnessing is an 'asymmetrical' conflict.

The report, which invited angry responses from Israel, was presented by the Commission that was appointed to probe "all underlying root causes" in the decades-long conflict and it pointed the finger of blame squarely at Israel.

"Ending the occupation of lands by ending Israel's occupation, in full conformity with Security Council resolutions, remains essential in stopping the persistent cycle of violence," Commissioner Miloon Kothari said.

Furthermore, the report says " impunity is feeding increased resentment among the Palestinian people, with forced displacement, demolitions, settlement construction and the blockade of Gaza, some of the main contributing factors to recurring cycles of violence."

"The findings and recommendations relevant to the underlying root causes were overwhelmingly directed towards Israel, which we have taken as an indicator of the asymmetrical nature of the conflict and the reality of one State occupying the other," said Navanethem Pillay, the Commission's chair, who also served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2008-2014.

The Commission also undertook two missions to Geneva and one to Jordan, and held consultations with various stakeholders, including Israeli and Palestinian civil society organizations.

Pillay also drew attention to the fact that previous recommendations "have overwhelmingly not been implemented" which is evidence that "Israel has no intention of ending the occupation" and the "systematic recurrence of violations in both the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel".

However, Commissioner Chris Sidoti remarked that it is clear that Israel has no intention of ending the occupation.

The Commission also blamed the Palestinian Authority for its human rights violations using the occupation as justification. The panel put a similar blame on the de facto authorities in Gaza, controlled by Hamas for showing little commitment to human rights and adherence to humanitarian law.

The report will be presented during the 50th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council scheduled for next week in Geneva.

The UN's website specifically mentions that experts appointed to UN Commissions of Inquiry receive their mandates from the Human Rights Council and also that the members are neither UN staff, nor do they receive a salary for their work.