GENEVA - Outgoing UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet blasted Israel on Tuesday for failing to issue or renew visas for her staff to monitor the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories.
"In 2020, the 15 international staff of my office in Palestine - which has been operating in the country for 26 years - had no choice but to leave," Ms Bachelet said in a statement. She said that as a member state, Israel had to cooperate with the UN in good faith and allow its officials to carry out their duties.
The former Chilean president - who leaves office on Wednesday after four years as the UN rights chief - said Israel's treatment of her staff was part of a"wider and worrying trend to block human rights access" to the Palestinian territories.Her statement said that in 2021, Israeli forces killed 320 Palestinians -"a 10-fold increase on the number killed in 2020" - and injured 17,042 people, six times the 2020 figure.
straits_times The UN:
straits_times US is aiding & abetting Israel on crimes against humanity -opposed International Criminal Court Investigation into Palestinian situation -block UN statements condemning Israel. US is equally culpable. World shd condemn/sanction both Israel n USA