Israel OPT UN Genocide Occupation Apartheid

Amnesty International Demands Immediate Ceasefire and End to Blockade Ahead of Crucial UN Conference

New York, NY – ‍July 25, 2025 – As the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of⁤ the Two-State Solution convenes in New York next week, Amnesty International is issuing an urgent call for fundamental steps that it argues are essential for any meaningful progress. The⁢ organization insists that an immediate⁢ and⁤ sustained ceasefire in Gaza, coupled with⁤ the lifting of Israel’s illegal blockade, are non-negotiable prerequisites⁢ for any process addressing the⁣ future of Palestinians.

“Without these fundamental⁢ urgent steps, any process aimed at addressing the future of Palestinians lacks credibility,” stated Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International. “How can such a process be considered meaningful when Palestinians are being slaughtered, starved, ⁤and forcibly displaced into ever-shrinking pockets of land on a daily basis?”

amnesty International has outlined a series of critical recommendations for states to implement, emphasizing their legal obligations under international law.⁤ The organization is urgently calling on states to:

Demand ⁣an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza: This includes ensuring full, unimpeded access to all areas of Gaza⁣ and firmly rejecting Israel’s military-controlled, non-neutral aid distribution model. A principled, UN-led humanitarian response must be immediately restored, with funding for impartial humanitarian organizations⁣ maintained and expanded.
End trade and transfers contributing to violations: states must cease any trade or transfers that contribute to‍ or are linked to genocide, apartheid, or unlawful occupation. This explicitly includes banning all weapons and surveillance equipment transfers, as well as any military assistance to Israel. Furthermore,states must end preferential trade agreements and cooperation deals with Israel,such as the EU-Israel Trade Agreement.
Adopt targeted sanctions and cooperate with the ICC: Amnesty International urges states to implement targeted sanctions against Israeli officials most implicated in international crimes and to cooperate fully with the International Criminal Court, including by implementing its⁤ arrest warrants.
Commit to reconstruction and oppose forced displacement: States must commit to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the rehabilitation of its⁤ people, while unequivocally opposing any forced displacement of Palestinians, whether within or ⁣outside of Gaza.
* Establish mechanisms for reparations: The organization calls for the establishment of mechanisms for reparations and rehabilitation of Palestinians, with Israel bearing the⁣ primary financial obligation.

beyond state actions, Amnesty international is also calling on corporations to refuse any involvement in, or direct linkage to, Israel’s unlawful actions, ensuring‍ they do not contribute to serious human rights violations. The organization further implores civil society and the public to continue mobilizing and campaigning, demanding that states uphold their legal obligations and denouncing companies,‍ banks, and other economic actors that contribute to or are directly linked to israel’s violations of international law.

“States must ⁢be unequivocal: Israel is not ‍above the ⁣law and accountability is a priority,” Callamard emphasized. “They must seize the possibility presented‍ by this conference to end their active or tacit support for Israeli violations⁢ or ⁤their self-imposed inertia. The conference must led to a clear commitment by all states to suspend all economic activity that contributes⁢ to or is directly linked to Israel’s illegal occupation, its system of apartheid, or its genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.”

The Secretary General concluded with a stark warning: “With the very survival of Palestinians at stake, there’s no time to waste with false promises or platitudes. As people ⁤continue to take to the streets to demand global action and as more and more states are recognizing Israel’s genocide ‍for what⁤ it is indeed, an empty, performative exercise would not be⁣ just tone-deaf,⁤ it would be unconscionable. For this conference to be anything more than a charade, states must heed our calls. They must‍ turn words into action that is firmly rooted in international law and protection of human rights.”

The High-level International Conference, co-chaired by France and saudi Arabia, is scheduled to take place in New York from July 28 to 29, 2025. Amnesty International representatives will be available for‍ interviews during the conference.