Similarly to the United Nations Human Rights Statement, the United Nations Association Chapter at UCLA is deeply concerned by the escalation of violence in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, Gaza and Israel in the past few days. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, at least 192 people, including 58 children and 34 women, have been killed in the Gaza Strip in the past week. More than 1,200 others have been wounded. In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces have killed at least 13 Palestinians. Israel has reported 10 dead, including two children.
We are particularly concerned about the impact on children and, similarly to UNICEF’s statement, expect children to be protected from violence and kept out of harm's way - we advocate for all detained Palestinian children to be released. As a chapter we condemn all violence and all incitement to violence and ethnic division and provocations.
In alliance with the United Nations Security Council, we are dedicated to advocating and protecting human rights, as we will not be complicit to the human rights violations, international war crimes, illegal forced evictions, racial discrimination and ethnic cleansing committed against Palestinians.