It has been three months since Palestinians and Israelis, along with the Americans, met in Annapolis to try to agree on a peace deal. Yet there has been no real progress.
Instead, the situation has worsened for Palestinians, who continue to endure Israeli occupation, oppression, house demolitions, aerial and ground attacks on a daily basis, not to mention the inevitable consequence of it all: extreme poverty.
In Gaza especially, Palestinians have been living like prisoners, their every move restricted and controlled by the occupiers.
The latest UN report by John Dugard echoes this reality, and also looks at Israel's unfair policies towards Palestinians, likening its occupation to apartheid South Africa.
Dugard, a South African law professor who is the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in the Occupied Territories, also concentrates on Israel's illegal separation wall and colony activity, whereby he concludes: "It has become abundantly clear that the wall and checkpoints are principally aimed at advancing the safety, convenience and comfort of settlers [colonists]".
Moreover, his recommendation that there should be a "serious consideration" about bringing the occupation to the international court of justice is a valid one. While these findings are not new by any means, they are significant and it is hoped the international community will finally act.
