A/HRC/10/76 Page 6 22. The Syrian Arab Republic noted that the report submitted by Israel omitted the reality of Israel being a State for Jews, where Jews alone are the citizens of the country. The report also failed to point out that the laws of the occupying power ensure that Israelis are subject to civil laws, whereas the Arabs are subjective to military laws. It recommended that Israel set a clear timetable to commit itself to the principles of human rights and humanitarian laws in all occupied Arab territories, and to releasing all Arab prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons imprisoned for years without trial. Israel should enable ICRC to provide for needs and health care, in conformity with Council resolution 7/30, given that health standards are deteriorating on an ongoing basis; respect religious and cultural rights of Palestinians in all Occupied Palestinian Territories, including Jerusalem, in accordance with Council resolution 6/19; and commit to implementing the recommendations made after the review of its report to the Committee against Torture, and put an end to physical and mental torture of Arab prisoners. 23. Egypt noted that the State’s report omits to mention that it remains the occupying power of lands of three Arab countries and that, since 1967, more than 20 per cent of the Palestinian population has been detained by Israel. Egypt noted that Israel ignored the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice requesting it to cease the construction of the wall being built in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including in and around East Jerusalem, and to dismantle those parts built on the Territories. Egypt referred to Israeli practices in the occupied Syrian Golan, including the confiscation of lands and imposing its citizenship on the Syrian people. Egypt recommended that Israel end its occupation of all Palestinian and Arab Territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem and the Syrian Golan; respect the right of Palestinians to self-determination and the establishment of their independent State, with Jerusalem as its capital; respect the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homelands and be compensated for losses and damage incurred and to retrieve their properties; fully implement the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice concerning the wall; annul its illegitimate decision to annex the occupied Syrian Golan, and to end all settlement activities therein; end all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, particularly in and around occupied Jerusalem; immediately cease its military operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and lift the closure imposed on the Gaza strip; and immediately release all Palestinian, Syrian and other Arab prisoners and detainees. 24. France asked if Israel envisaged limiting the use of administrative detention, particularly for minors, based on “secret proof for security reasons”. It noted that there are laws and regulations that favour the Jewish majority, particularly with regard to access to citizenship and land, a major concern being the Bedouin population, forbidden from living on their traditional lands in the south of Israel. France asked about concrete measures to eliminate discrimination against Arab minorities. It said restrictions on the freedom of movement in the occupied territories have serious humanitarian and economic consequences, contravening the Fourth Geneva Convention. The blockade of the Gaza Strip is a major concern and Israel should conform to international humanitarian law and allow humanitarian personnel to pass, particularly those from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the World Food Programme. France recommended the reopening of points of passage to and from the Gaza Strip. It expressed concern that, in overcrowded Israeli prisons, visitation rights are refused to families of Palestinian prisoners, and about the incarceration of minors. It recommended that Israel respect the principles for the protection of persons subjected to detention or imprisonment and implement the recommendation of the Committee against Torture that it adopt specific legislation to ban torture. France also recommended that Israel, to ensure best protection of human rights and follow-up on implementation of international instruments, establish an independent national human rights institution, in accordance with the

Select target paragraph3

Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents