The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned Israeli occupation bombing of Gaza that killed 13 Palestinians, including a child.
CAIR also said the United States and Muslim nations in the Middle East should take action after these latest ceasefire violations and a report by the United Nations accusing Israel of decades of “severe racial discrimination and segregation” in the West Bank equivalent to “apartheid.”
Thirteen people, including at least one child, were killed following bombing attacks in northern Gaza and east of Gaza City, according to family members and Gazan authorities.
SEE: Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 13, officials say | World News | Sky News
In the report, the UN said “systematic discrimination” against Palestinians across the occupied Palestinian territories had “drastically deteriorated” in recent years.
“Whether accessing water, school, rushing to hospital, visiting family or friends, or harvesting olives – every aspect of life for Palestinians in the West Bank is controlled and curtailed by Israel’s discriminatory laws, policies and practices,” said UN Rights Chief Volker Turk.
Several independent experts affiliated with the UN have described the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories as “apartheid” but this marks the first time a UN rights chief has applied the term.
SEE: UN accuses Israel of ‘severe segregation and discrimination’ in West Bank ‘apartheid’ – France 24
UN report underscores decades-long racial discrimination by Israel in occupied West Bank
Recently, the Israeli government approved the building of 3,401 new settler homes in an area known as E1, east of Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank.
SEE: Israel issues tender to build over 3,400 settler homes in occupied East Jerusalem
In a statement, CAIR said:
“Time and again, the Israeli government proves that it is hell-bent on re-escalating its campaign of extermination against the Palestinian people. Israel’s continued slaughter of Palestinians, including children, proves that it has no intention of willingly stopping its genocide in Gaza or its apartheid in the West Bank.
“This latest UN report confirms that the occupation and systemic discrimination against Palestinians in the West Bank is nothing short of apartheid. The continued expansion of settlements is a blatant violation of international law.
“The United States and Muslim-majority nations in the region must act immediately to rein in the Israeli government and force them to stop violating the ceasefire with these acts of mass murder.”
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com