Israeli soldier fires tear gas grenade at Palestinian protesters. (Reuters)

GENEVA, April 14, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – With Israel ignoring the shaky truce and continuing to gun down more Palestinians, the UN Commission on Human Rights Thursday, April 14, condemned the Jewish state’s settlement building in the occupied Palestinian territories, pressing for an immediate freeze.

In a resolution voted in favor by 39 countries, the 53-member body asked Israel to “reverse the settlement policy in the occupied territories”, including occupied East Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, according to Reuters.

The UN’s human rights watchdog also urged Israel to confiscate arms and enforce sanctions “with the aim of preventing acts of violence by Israeli settlers”.

Egypt’s Ambassador Naela Gabr described Israel’s continued settlement building as “an obstacle to peace”.

Palestinian Ambassador Mohammad Abu-Koash accused Israel of being “out of step with the world”.

Established in 1946 to weave the international legal fabric that protects our fundamental rights and freedoms, the UNCHR is the world’s foremost human rights forum.

The Commission meets annually in Geneva in March and April for six weeks with the participation of over 3,000 delegates from member and observer States and from non-governmental organizations.

Israel is defiantly pressing ahead with the construction of its separation wall that dips deep into occupied Palestinian territory at several points under the pretext of protecting Jewish settlements.

A UN report maintained the wall marked illegal annexation  of Palestinian territory and must be condemned by the world community.

The United States, Israel’s main ally, and Australia were alone in voting against the resolution with 12 abstentions in a public vote.

“There is much talk of the credibility of the Commission. Imbalanced and unjust resolutions of this type do much to bring that credibility into question,” argued US Ambassador Rudy Boschwitz.

Israel, which has no vote at the six-week forum, angrily rejected the resolution as “one-sided”.

Its Ambassador Itzhak Levanon also accused the UN body of “selectivity” in singling out his country each year for censure.

The heated debate came days after US President George Bush told Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in talks at his Texas ranch, that Israel could keep the West Bank settlements under its hands in any future peace deal with the Palestinians.

Bush had triggered Arab wrath by saying Palestinian refugees could not return to land lost in 1948 and then exchanged with Sharon letters cementing his position, in what has been dubbed as a Bushfour declaration.

Palestinian and international runners run during a mini-marathon to promote peace in the region. (Reuters)

Meanwhile in the occupied Palestinian territories, Israel continued its incessant aggressions against Palestinians.

Israeli occupation forces gunned down Thursday Ibrahim Smeri, an activist of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, in the Balata refugee camp on the outskirts of Nablus, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

An Israeli military source claimed a special forces unit had come to arrest the activist who had then opened fire in their direction.

The soldiers returned fire, wounding the 23-year-old who died shortly afterwards despite receiving treatment at an army Israeli post, he added.

Palestinian security and medical sources said that they had retrieved Smeri's body from the Israeli authorities.

His death brings the overall toll since the September 2000 start of the Palestinian Intifadah to 4,749, including 3,689 Palestinians, according to an AFP tally.

Smeri was the first Palestinian to be killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank in more than a month, drawing the wrath of his group, Fatah’s military arm.

“This assassination is a clear violation of the Israeli ceasefire,” Ala Sanekri, Al-Aqsa Brigades leader in the Balata refugee camp, told AFP.

“We are now discussing in the Al-Aqsa Brigades whether to continue with the ceasefire and we will make a decision in the coming hours.”

Violating the truce observed by the Palestinian resistance factions, Israeli occupation forces killed on Saturday, April 9, three Palestinians while playing football in Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza.

Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas both announced an end to more than four years of hostilities at a landmark summit in Egypt February 8.

Palestinian resistance factions, including Al-Aqsa Brigades, have been observing the de facto truce since then.

Meeting in Cairo last month, the factions agreed to extend the truce until the end of the year.