Geneva-Sana
The United Nations today reaffirmed that Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territory are illegal and violate international law.
"The change of policy in a country does not mean an amendment to existing international law or its interpretation by the International Court of Justice and the Security Council," Robert Colville, spokesman for the UN Human Rights Office, told reporters in response to the US position on Zionist settlements.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced at a press conference yesterday that the US administration does not consider the Israeli settlements as incompatible with international law, ignoring all international resolutions, especially Security Council resolution 2334 of 2016, which demands the occupation to immediately stop all settlement operations in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Colville said the Human Rights Office would continue to adopt the long-held UN position that Israeli settlements are a violation of international law.
On the other hand, Colville strongly criticized today the decision of US President Donald Trump to pardon three former US soldiers convicted of war crimes, saying it sends disturbing signals to military forces around the world.
Colville said the three cases involved serious violations of international humanitarian law, including the shooting of a group of civilians and the execution of a detainee, and said that an amnesty for people suspected of war crimes was very disturbing.
He pointed out that under international humanitarian law there is an obligation to investigate violations and prosecute war crimes, pointing out that these exemptions come against the letter and spirit of international law that requires accountability.
Trump recently pardoned three US soldiers convicted of war crimes related to the killing of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.