Watan-In a move described as political submission, the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah backed down from supporting a UN proposal that aimed to establish an international mechanism to investigate Israeli occupation crimes in Gaza.
The draft resolution, which was submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council, underwent serious amendments after direct U.S. pressure. Its substance was altered from “establishing an international commission of inquiry” to merely “calling for consideration of a future mechanism,” with key clauses defining its mandate and powers being removed.
Media reports revealed that the Trump administration exerted heavy pressure on President Mahmoud Abbas’s team to strip the proposal of its core content, under the pretext of preserving “regional stability” and avoiding “legal escalation.” This move sparked widespread anger among Palestinians and human rights activists, who saw it as a political betrayal of the victims and martyrs in Gaza.
Undermining Accountability
The timing raised many questions, especially since the withdrawal came during what has been documented as a genocide in Gaza, which has killed thousands of children and women. International reports have confirmed that the Israeli military committed war crimes. At a time when the Palestinian leadership was expected to escalate the legal path, the Authority—according to observers—chose instead to offer political concessions in exchange for meager gains tied to its survival in the political scene.
What makes this Palestinian retreat dangerous is that it weakens international efforts to hold Israeli war criminals accountable, giving Tel Aviv yet another opportunity to evade justice amid clear American bias and UN inaction.
While the world awaits decisive steps to hold Israel accountable, it appears that some Palestinian leaders have once again chosen to align with the occupier, rather than defend their own people.
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