The United Nations has expressed grave worry over the deteriorating security situation in occupied Palestine in the context of Israel’s daily assaults on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem over the last week.
“We are profoundly worried by the recent escalation of violence in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel,” said Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“The use of force by Israeli police that resulted in numerous injuries among pilgrims and employees in and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound must be reviewed as soon as possible, impartially, independently, and publicly,” she added.
“Those responsible for any infractions should be held accountable, and rules and procedures on the use of force should be examined to prevent future violations.”
According to Shamdasani, the behaviour of Israeli occupation security personnel on April 15, which was caught on many tapes, “raises major concerns that the use of force was widespread, unwarranted, and indiscriminate.”
Noting how the tension in Jerusalem has spilled over into other regions, the spokesperson stated that Israel’s increased military activities in the West Bank, particularly in Jenin, “put Palestinian citizens at significant danger.”
She expressed grave worry over “excessive use of force and ill-treatment, as well as arbitrary arrests of family members of sought persons” in Israel’s raids and arrest operations across the West Bank.
“Some of the deaths, like the shooting of a Palestinian lady in Husan on April 10 by Israeli security forces, raise severe concerns about disproportionate use of force and arbitrary deprivation of life,” she added.
