Mr. Vice President, Distinguished Members of the Council,

Following the recent disappearance of three Israeli settlers, Israel has killed four Palestinians, including one child. A fifth Palestinian remains in a state of clinical death.

Ahmad Arafat and Mahmoud Jihad were shot in the chest. Mustafa Husni was shot in the head. Ahmad Said was shot in the shoulder, abdomen, chest and thigh from a 30-metre distance.

The manner in which these Palestinians were killed indicates the use of excessive force by Israeli soldiers in blatant disregard to international law.  We ask each Member State of the Council to condemn in the strongest terms the recent killings of the youths.

These killings took place as part of a large-scale highly intrusive investigation taking the form of collective punishment in reprisal for the missing settlers. 

Since the start of this investigation, Israel has arrested more than 450 Palestinians across the West Bank, approximately 100 of whom have been placed under administrative detention - a practice that continues to be carried out unlawfully by Israel despite an ongoing hunger strike of over 125 Palestinian prisoners, resulting in serious threats to their lives.

As part of its alleged investigation, Israel is also carrying out late-night house raids; ransacking homes and destroying private possessions while intimidating and harassing the residents. Israel has also imposed closures further restricting the freedom of movement of approximately 100,000 Palestinians.

Thus far several Member States of the Council, including EU member states, have failed to challenge Israel's actions by dangerously and unjustly ignoring Israeli violations.

To warrant non-repetition of such violations, Member States of the Council must hold Israel to account for its ongoing abuses of human rights and to ensure that the search for settlers is no longer used as a pretext to kill, arrest, torture, and infringe on the privacy and freedom of Palestinians in the form of collective punishment.

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