Israel and Trump Administration Push to Sanction UN Human Rights Council Over Sexual Violence and Genocide Report
Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Israel and the Trump administration are moving to sanction the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) after its latest investigation documented Israel's committing of systematic rape and sexual violence against Palestinian women, men, and children—acts the report classified as genocidal crimes, reported Israel's Channel 12.
The UNHRC report stressed that Israel is using sexual violence as a military strategy in Gaza. Israeli and US officials responded with outrage, calling the findings "false," "distorted," and "antisemitic."
Israeli and American diplomats at the UN are working to pass legislation that would impose economic sanctions and travel bans on UNHRC officials. The goal is to expand existing US sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to also target the UNHRC.
Israeli officials confirmed they are pressuring the US to enact sanctions against the UNHRC. The US and Israel had already withdrawn from the Council in previous years. Now, they are working on legislative measures in Washington to punish the UNHRC for exposing Israel's crimes.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon is leading the effort alongside incoming US Ambassador Alice Stapnick, who is set to take office soon.
The plan aims to block key UNHRC officials from entering the US and freeze their assets under new financial restrictions.
On Thursday, the Geneva-based Independent International Commission of Inquiry revealed that Israeli authorities “have destroyed … the reproductive capacity of Palestinians in Gaza as a group through the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive healthcare”, it said in a statement.
It added that this amounted to “two categories of genocidal acts” during Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
Israel said it has terminated the humanitarian activities in Gaza of Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, after it refused to provide a list of its Palestinian staff over concerns for their safety and a lack of assurances on how the information would be used by Israel.
Encyclopaedia Britannica removed Israel from its educational materials for children and replaced it with Palestine. Following pressure from a pro-Israel lawyers’ group, Britannica reverted to using Israel.
Israel has partially opened the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt after two years of genocide. Palestinians are not expected to be allowed to pass through on Sunday, as strict security screenings will be carried out. Entry into Gaza will be permitted only for Palestinians who fled the territory during the assault and who have received prior Israeli security approval.