1 July 1979

The Commission of Inquiry formally submitted its report to the Security Council regarding the refugee situation in the Arab Occupied Territories, including the Golan Heights, Gaza and the West Bank. The commission found that the occupation of the Palestinian territories was fundanmentally detrimental to ways of life for Palestinians and that as occupiers, Israel committed violations to international law and the Geneva Convention, specifically Articles 2, 4, 27, 47, and 49.

Among the violations were several human rights violations, including restriction of basic necessities such as water, illegal  confiscation of private real estate through the use of the Isaraeli Absentee Property Law and other methods, and recorded instances of torture. Egypt, Syria, and Jordan all testified to the financial burden each nation has had to bear while taking in Palestinian refugees and assisting those still in the occupied territories.

The Commission recommended the Security council fully demand execution of Resolution 242 which requires “withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied” during the 1967 Seven-Day War. The Commission also recommended to the Security Council to order Jordan to conduct a survey of Palestinians in Jerusalem to better understand the impacts of occupation, including socio-economic, religious, and human rights impacts.