GENEVA, April 4, 2025 (WAFA) – At the conclusion of its 58th session on Friday, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted two resolutions presented by the State of Palestine, reaffirming the illegality of Israeli colonial practices in the occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and upholding the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

The resolutions were adopted under agenda item seven of the Council's agenda, which pertains to the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian Territory. Thirty-four nations voted in favor of the resolution concerning the illegality of colonial expansion, while 10 abstained and three opposed it.

Concerning the resolution on the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, it garnered the support of 43 countries, with two nations opposing and two abstaining from the vote.

The resolution on the illegality of colonial expansion emphasizes that Israeli colonial practices in the occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, are in violation of international law and represent a substantial impediment to the realization of just peace and a two-state solution.

The resolution calls for the immediate and unconditional cessation of all colonial activities, the dismantling of existing colonies, the removal of the apartheid wall and the cessation of policies of racial discrimination and forcible displacement against Palestinians.

It further urges Israel to recognize and adhere to the Fourth Geneva Convention, especially Article 49 and addresses the responsibility of states and companies involved in supporting the colonial enterprise.

The resolution calls for divestment, the boycott of entities operating within Israeli colonies, and the imposition of sanctions on colonists involved in violations, including asset freezes and travel bans, while emphasizing the imperative to hold perpetrators of colonist violence accountable and ensure their prosecution.

The resolution on the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination reaffirms their inalienable right to determine their fate, encompassing their right to establish an independent state and to live in freedom, justice and dignity.

It underscores that Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, is illegal and must end immediately, as its persistence, along with policies of annexation and colonization, severely undermines the prospects for a political resolution.

The resolution calls for the removal of all impediments to the independence and sovereignty of the State of Palestine, as well as for the preservation of the territorial integrity of Palestinian land. It also demands accountability for Israel's policies that fragment the land and alter its demographic composition.

The resolution underscores that supporting the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination is an obligation shared by all nations and international organizations.

T.R.