A/HRC/RES/43/32
international community to step up its efforts to provide the Gaza Strip with the assistance
that it requires,
Stressing the need for all parties, in conformity with the relevant provisions of
international humanitarian law, to cooperate fully with the United Nations and other
humanitarian agencies and organizations and to ensure the rapid and unhindered access of
humanitarian personnel, and the delivery of supplies and equipment, in order to allow such
personnel to perform efficiently their task of assisting affected civilian populations, including
refugees and internally displaced persons,
Stressing also the need to end immediately the closure of the Gaza Strip and for the
full implementation of the Agreement on Movement and Access and the Agreed Principles
for the Rafah Crossing, both of 15 November 2005, to allow for the freedom of movement
of the Palestinian civilian population within and into and out of the Gaza Strip, while taking
into account Israeli security concerns,
Expressing deep concern at the Israeli policy of closures and the imposition of severe
restrictions and checkpoints, several of which have been transformed into structures akin to
permanent border crossings, other physical obstacles and a permit regime, which are applied
in a discriminatory manner affecting the Palestinian population only and all of which obstruct
the freedom of movement of persons and goods, including medical and humanitarian goods,
throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and impair the
Territory’s contiguity, violating the human rights of the Palestinian people,
Convinced that the Israeli occupation has gravely impeded the efforts made to achieve
sustainable development and a sound economic environment in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and expressing grave concern at the consequent
deterioration of economic and living conditions,
Deploring all policies and practices whereby Israeli settlers, who reside illegally in
the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, are accorded preferential
treatment over the Palestinian population in terms of access to roads, infrastructure, land,
property, housing, natural resources and judicial mechanisms, resulting in widespread human
rights violations of Palestinians,
Expressing deep concern that thousands of Palestinians, including many children and
women, and elected members of the Palestinian Legislative Council continue to be detained
and held in Israeli prisons or detention centres under harsh conditions, including unhygienic
conditions, solitary confinement, lack of proper medical care, denial of family visits and
denial of due process, that impair their well-being, and expressing deep concern also at the
ill-treatment and harassment of Palestinian prisoners and all reports of torture,
Recalling the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners
(the Nelson Mandela Rules) and the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women
Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules), and
calling for respect for those rules,
Recalling also the prohibition under international humanitarian law of transfers and
deportations of civilians from or to occupied territories,
Deploring the practice of withholding the bodies of those killed, and calling for the
release of the bodies that have not yet been returned to their relatives, in accordance with
international humanitarian law and human rights law,
Stressing the need for the protection of human rights defenders engaged in the
promotion of human rights issues in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East
Jerusalem, to allow them to carry out their work freely and without fear of attack, harassment,
arbitrary detention or criminal prosecution,
Convinced of the need for an international presence to monitor the situation, to
contribute to ending the violence and protecting the Palestinian civilian population and to
help the parties to implement the agreements reached, and in this regard recalling the positive
contribution of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron, and regretting the unilateral
decision by Israel not to renew its mandate, thereby dispensing with one of the few
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