Cairo, (SANA) – The Arab Standing Commission for Human Rights affirmed on Tuesday that the Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan constitutes a serious violation of the principles of the UN Charter and the basics of international law, particularly the 4th Geneva Convention of 1949, affirming the right of Syrian Arab citizens of Golan to refuse and resist the occupation.

The Commission issued recommendations at the conclusion of its 25th session at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo and relayed them to the Council of Arab Foreign Ministers. The recommendations called on the international community to force Israel to cease its violations of human rights and international law in the occupied Syrian Golan.

The Commission condemned the Israeli Knesset's decision of 1981 that calls for extending the Israeli laws on the occupied Syrian Golan, refusing all procedures taken by the Israeli forces to change the nature of the occupied Golan. They also condemned Israeli procedures that deprive Syrian Arab citizens from using the Golan's water supplies and divert the water to Israeli settlements instead.

They also denounced the occupation forces' violations of Syrian children's rights and their terrorist practices in the Syrian village of al-Ghajar.

The Commission declared Gaza Strip a disaster area, calling on the international community to act to end the accelerated deterioration of human conditions there and work to provide protection and assistance to the civilians there. They held Israel responsible for the situation in Gaza and denounced the policy of collective punishment it uses, which violates human rights and the 4th Geneva Convention.

They also called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to assume responsibility and take necessary steps to guarantee the arrival of aid to the Palestinian people and protecting them.

The Commission welcomed the decision of the International Council on Human Rights Policy (ICHRP) that condemns Israel's constant violation of human rights and calls for pressuring Israel in order to protect civilians and their rights according to international law.

H. Sabbagh / Ahmad Fathi ZAHRA