BICOM

On Monday, the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva is set to debate the creation of a fact-finding mission on West Bank settlements and Jewish construction in East Jerusalem.

It is one of five resolutions on Israel and the Palestinians that will be presented to the council as part of its 19th session. One of the five resolutions calls on the council “to investigate the implications of Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.”

Other resolutions call on the council to affirm the Palestinian right to self-determination, condemn Israeli violence against Palestinians, calls on member states to provide emergency economic assistance to Palestinians and expresses concern at the firing of rockets at Israel. A resolution submitted by Pakistan calls on Israel to return the Golan Heights to Syria.

According to the Ma’an News Agency, Hamas senior official Ismail al-Ashqar will also address the council as part of Monday’s debate on Israel. Al-Ashqar will discuss the issue of Hamas members being held in Israeli jails. He is the deputy head of Hamas’ Change and Reform party and is slated to protest “the continuation of the abduction of Palestinian legislators on behalf of Hamas by Israel.”

Israel and the US have leveled harsh criticism at the Human Rights Council in recent years claiming it is leading an anti-Israel agenda and disregarding human rights violations in many countries around the world.