Dr Ashrawi: Palestinian leadership commits to concrete steps

PLO Executive Committee member, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi said, “Following the meetings of the Palestinian leadership, particularly the Political Committee and the PLO Executive Committee, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is undertaking several steps and measures to deal with the horrific situation in Gaza.”
The work plan includes the following steps to address the deteriorating conditions in Gaza and Israeli violations of international law and Palestinian human rights:
1.     President Abbas will present a letter to the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, addressed to UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki Moon, to officially put the State of Palestine under the UN international protection system and to form a legal committee for immediate follow-up.
2.     At the Arab foreign ministers’ meeting taking place tomorrow, July 14, the State of Palestine will ask all parties present to adopt a draft resolution at the ministerial level to be presented at the next UNSC meeting and to follow-up on this matter accordingly at the UN.
3.     The Palestinian leadership will follow-up on convening the High Contracting Parties and urge Switzerland as the depository of the Conventions to speed up consultations and convene the Parties immediately as a matter of urgency.
4.     In its annual meeting in August, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) will be asked to add Israel and its policies and measures against Palestine on its agenda and designate Israel as an apartheid state.
5.     The Palestinian leadership will ask for an emergency meeting of the UN Human Rights Council to deal with the grave conditions in Gaza and hold Israel to account for its violations of international law and international humanitarian law.
6.     The Political committee discussed the matter of acceding to additional international treaties and conventions.
7.     The Committee also explored various ways in which to pursue judicial accountability for Israel’s war crimes.