End of Israeli Occupation Would Benefit Both Sides: UN

The top UN human rights official called on Tuesday for Israel to pull out of territories captured in a 1967 war that Palestinians now seek for a state, saying it would benefit both sides after 50 years of enmity.

In six days of war in June 1967, Israel seized the West Bank and East Jerusalem (East Al-Quds) from Jordan, the Gaza Strip from Egypt and the Golan Heights from Syria.

Palestinians want a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem (East Al-Quds) as their capital. The last round of peace talks collapsed in 2014.

In a speech opening a three-week session of the UN Human Rights Council, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein observed the 50th anniversary of when he "first heard the sound of war" as a boy in Amman, Jordan, Reuters reported.

He said Palestinians were now marking "a half-century of deep suffering under an occupation imposed by military force" and marked by "systematic" violations of international law.

Maintain the occupation and for both peoples there will only be a prolongation of immense pain."

There are now 350,000 Israelis living in settlements across the West Bank with an air of permanence. Many countries see the settlements as illegal. Israel disputes this, citing historical, biblical and political connections to the West Bank and East Jerusalem (East Al-Quds), as well as security considerations.

After the 1967 war, Israel annexed East Jerusalem (East Al-Quds) and deems all of the city its "indivisible and eternal capital", a status not recognized internationally. Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005 and it is now ruled by Hamas movement.