Israel not only violates human rights but also challenges sanctity of life - Centhra

THE Centre for Human Rights Research and Advocacy (Centhra) told the United Nations’ 2024 CSOs Working On The Question Of Palestine conference in Geneva yesterday that Israeli’s treatment of the Palestinians not only violated fundamental human rights but also challenged the sanctity of human life.

Centhra Director of Advocacy, Romli Shamsuddin, told the conference, themed “Building bridges with international civil society to address the ongoing Nakba’ that collaborations among CSOs were vital in ending the Israeli occupation, apartheid and genocide while enhancing the responsibility of member states to protect and prevent further harm to the Palestinians.

“Malaysia extends its gratitude to the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for convening this vital gathering of international civil society organisations.

“Our collaborations have been instrumental in fostering partnerships aimed at ending the Israeli occupation, apartheid and genocide and enhancing the responsibility of member states to protect and prevent further harm to the Palestinian people,” Romli said.

Centhra, he added, wanted to draw attention to the urgent matter of the value of human life in Gaza.

“The staggering death toll of approximately 32,623 and the alarming number of 75,092 injured Gazans underscore the gravity of the situation. Israel's treatment of Palestinians not only violates fundamental human rights but also challenges the sanctity of human life itself, he added.

“We propose the adoption of a standardised value for human life and advocate for the implementation of a monetary valuation equation to assess the impact of Israel's actions on Palestinian potential and development.

“We must emphasise on the imperative of holding Israel accountable for the lives lost and the damage inflicted by its occupation.”

Centhra, he said, also urged the international community to take decisive action and hold Israel responsible in providing compensation for the loss of lives of Palestinians and the devastation caused by its aggression.

“We call for unwavering solidarity and concerted efforts to address the grave injustice faced by Palestinians. Only through accountability, compensation and genuine commitment to peace can we hope to achieve a just and lasting resolution to this longstanding conflict,” he said.