KUALA LUMPUR: In order to hold Israel accountable for its actions in Gaza, the Committee on Palestine should intensify efforts to seek justice through the various United Nations mechanism.

Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said the Committee should take this initiative as justice for Palestine was needed and must be done via the Security Council and the Human Rights Council.

“It is time that we move beyond words and concentrate our efforts towards more concrete measures,” he said during the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in New York on Sept 26.

The text of his speech was made available to Bernama today.

Anifah said the committee also should demand the convening of a Conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention and addressing Israel’s continued non-compliance with the provisions of the instrument.

“My delegation hopes that the ongoing consultations between the High Contracting Parties and Switzerland as the depository of the Geneva Conventions will lead to the expeditious convening of the Conference,” he said.

Anifah added that the Committee should request the President of the General Assembly for the resumption of the tenth Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly, to consider the illegal Israeli actions in the occupied Palestinian territory.

He said another initiative that should be taken in order to hold Israel accountable for its actions was by supporting the call by the State of Palestine to place Palestine under the international protection system of the United Nations.

Anifah pointed out the committee should galvanise efforts to obtain the widest possible support amongst Member States for General Assembly resolutions relating to Palestine during the upcoming 69th Session.

He said this included the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, and the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.

Moreover, according to Anifah, ultimately, Malaysia underlined the need for an end to the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.

“We can no longer afford for the international community to fail us in this demand.

“As such, my delegation reaffirms the recent decision by the Arab League to engage the Security Council to adopt a resolution which establishes a clear deadline for the end of the occupation,” he said. – BERNAMA/foto bernama