The Commission on Human Rights,

Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, as well as by the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Guided also by the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

Taking into consideration the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, and the provisions of Additional Protocol I thereto, and the Hague Convention IV of 1907,

Recalling the resolutions of the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights related to the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and other occupied Arab territories,

Recalling also the General Assembly resolutions on Israeli violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, occupied since 1967, and noting Assembly resolution ES­10/4 of 13 November 1997, in which the Assembly reiterated its recommendation that the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War convene a conference on measures to enforce the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and to ensure its respect in accordance with common article 1 of the four Geneva Conventions,

Recalling further the provisions of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights in June 1993 (A/CONF.157/23),

Taking note of the report (E/CN.4/1998/17) of the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Hannu Halinen, regarding his mission undertaken in accordance with Commission resolution 1993/2 A of 19 February 1993,

Taking note also of the reports of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories submitted to the General Assembly since 1968, including the latest (A/52/131 and Add.1 and 2),

Noting with great concern the continued Israeli refusal to abide by the resolutions of the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights calling upon Israel to put an end to the violations of human rights and affirming the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967,

Gravely concerned at the stagnation of the peace process because of the contempt of the Government of Israel for the principles on which that process was based, and its refusal to carry out its commitments in line with the agreements it signed with the Palestine Liberation Organization,

Recalling all its previous resolutions on the subject, including the latest, resolution 1997/1 of 26 March 1997,

1. Condemns the continued violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in particular the continuation of acts of wounding and killing such as that which took place on 10 March 1998 when Israeli occupation soldiers shot dead three Palestinian workers and wounded nine others, one of them seriously, and the subsequent opening of fire on Palestinian civilians after the incidents of the following days, in addition to the detention of thousands of Palestinians without trial, the continuation of the confiscation of Palestinian lands, the extension and the establishment of Israeli settlements thereon, the confiscation of Palestinians' property and expropriation of their land, the demolition of Palestinian homes and the uprooting of fruit trees, and calls upon Israel to cease these acts immediately since these practices constitute a major obstacle in the way of peace;

2. Also condemns the opening of a tunnel under the Al Aqsa mosque, the continuation of the building of an Israeli settlement on Jabal Abu Ghenaim in Occupied East Jerusalem in addition to other settlements in the West Bank, the expropriation of Palestinian homes in Al­Amoud district in Jerusalem, the revocation of identity cards of the citizens of the Palestinian city of Jerusalem and forcing them to live outside their home with the aim of the Judaization of Jerusalem, and calls upon the Government of Israel to close the tunnel and to put an end immediately to these practices;

3. Further condemns the use of torture against Palestinians during interrogation, which the Israeli High Court of Justice has legitimized, and calls upon the Government of Israel to refrain immediately from the current interrogation practices and to work on abolishing the above­mentioned legitimization;

4. Reaffirms that all the Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, are illegal and should be dismantled in order to achieve a just, permanent and comprehensive peace in the region of the Middle East;

5. Also reaffirms that the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War is applicable to the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including East Jerusalem, and considers any change in the geographical and demographic status of the city of East Jerusalem from its situation prior to the June 1967 war to be illegal and void;

6. Further reaffirms the great importance of the convening of a conference by the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, in accordance with General Assembly resolution ES­10/4;

7. Calls upon Israel to cease immediately its policy of enforcing collective punishments, such as demolition of houses and closure of the Palestinian territory, measures which constitute flagrant violations of international law and international humanitarian law, endanger the lives of the Palestinians and also constitute a major obstacle in the way of peace;

8. Calls once more upon Israel, the occupying Power, to desist from all forms of violation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and other occupied Arab territories, and to respect the bases of international law, the principles of international humanitarian law, its international commitments and the agreements it signed with the Palestine Liberation Organization;

9. Also calls upon Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, and the other Arab territories occupied since 1967, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations and the Commission on Human Rights;

10. Requests the Secretary­General to bring the present resolution to the attention of the Government of Israel and all other Governments, the competent United Nations organs, the specialized agencies, regional intergovernmental organizations and international humanitarian organizations, to disseminate it on the widest possible scale, and to report on its implementation by the Government of Israel to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty­fifth session;

11. Also requests the Secretary­General to provide the Commission on Human Rights with all United Nations reports issued between sessions of the Commission that deal with the conditions in which the citizens of the Palestinian and other occupied Arab territories are living under the Israeli occupation;

12. Decides to consider this question at its fifty­fifth session under the same agenda item, as a matter of high priority.

20th meeting
27 March 1998

[Adopted by a roll­call vote of 31 votes to 1,with 20 abstentions. See chap. IV.]