The State of Qatar has reiterated its firm position in support of the Palestinian people until they recover all their legitimate rights and establish their independent sovereign state on the June 4, 1967 borders.

This came in a statement delivered by Advisor at the Office of the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rashid Al-Suwaidi during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 under item 7 of the council's agenda.

Al-Suwaidi condemned the insistence of the Israeli authorities not to allow Michael Lynk, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, access to the occupied Palestinian territories to carry out his mandate.

He also strongly condemned what was stated in the Special Rapporteur's report regarding the continued significant deterioration of the human rights situation of Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, and the continuous increase in the scale of violations, violence and indiscriminate attacks by Israel (the occupying power) and their impact on the lives of Palestinians.

Al-Suwaidi condemned the Israeli authorities' consecration of the racial segregation regime through racist practices, legislations and colonial tools, foremost of which being the Land Settlement Law and the Nationality Law, which give only the Jewish people the right to self-determination over all the land of historic Palestine, and the continued settlement expansion in flagrant violation of international laws and agreements, as well as the practice of violence and terrorism by Israeli settlers and under the protection of the Israeli forces.

He also referred to the assertion of many international and human rights organizations that the Israeli settlements constitute a flagrant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, indicating that this is viewed as a war crime under the Rome Statute of 1998.

The advisor at the Office of the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community to move away from applying double standards, and to take the necessary measures in order for Israel, the occupying power, to implement its obligations under the international law, and work to end the Israeli occupation and the racial segregation regime.

He stressed the need to put an end to the state of impunity and to ensure accountability for all those responsible for the violations and crimes committed against the Palestinian people.