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Palestinians Chide U.N. Silence on Gaza | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Palestinians lob stones at an Israeli military checkpoint in the centre of the West Bank town of Hebron during a general strike (EPA)


Palestinians lob stones at an Israeli military checkpoint in the centre of the West Bank town of Hebron during a general strike (EPA)

Palestinians lob stones at an Israeli military checkpoint in the centre of the West Bank town of Hebron during a general strike (EPA)

UNITED NATIONS, (AP) – Palestinians denounced the U.N. Security Council’s silence on Israel’s offensive in Gaza on Thursday, urging the United Nations’ most powerful body to condemn the killing of 18 family members and demand a withdrawal of Israeli troops from the coastal strip.

Israel again expressed regret for the deaths, but blamed the tragedy on Palestinian violence that has forced Israel to defend itself.

At a daylong open meeting of the Security Council, speaker after speaker denounced the killings and criticized what they described as Israel’s excessive use of force in its offensive in Gaza.

Qatar introduced an Arab-backed draft resolution demanding the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory and condemning Israeli attacks, particularly Wednesday’s deaths of the 18 people in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun. It also calls for a mutual cease-fire and the deployment of a U.N. observer force on the Israeli-Gaza border.

Several diplomats from the U.S. and other council nations expressed concern at the contents of the resolution, noting that it makes no mention of Palestinian rocket attacks into Israel. The U.S. blocked a U.N. resolution this summer that would have demanded Israel halt its Gaza offensive, the first Security Council veto in nearly two years.

France and Britain proposed several amendments to the draft Thursday, council diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks were closed. Diplomats were to meet again Friday morning to assess when to put the draft in a final form that could be put to a vote.

Palestinian U.N. observer Riyad Mansour said “it’s very conceivable that the voting may take place” on Friday.

“When you have 45 speakers in two sessions expressing massive condemnation of the atrocities, especially the Beit Hanoun massacre and the support to the struggle of the Palestinian people … that is very telling. It should reflect itself in the negotiations,” he said.

Describing the Israeli attack in Beit Hanoun, Mansour said residents “awoke to the gruesome scene of blood and body parts scattered around their neighborhood.”

“This is terrorism,” Mansour said. “This is state terrorism. These are war crimes for which the perpetrators must be held accountable under international law.”

The deaths in Beit Hanoun, caused by Israeli artillery shells, were the highest number of Palestinian civilians killed in a single strike since fighting erupted in the current conflict six years ago, and undermined Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ attempts to form a more moderate government and renew a peace process with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday the strike was aimed at an orange grove used by rocket squads to attack Israel, but it missed its target because of a “technical error.”

Israel’s deputy U.N. Ambassador Daniel Carmon told the council his country was “deeply saddened by this heartbreaking occurrence” in Beit Hanoun. But he defended Israel’s right to defend itself from Palestinian militant rocket attacks, saying Gaza had “become a command center for terror organizations” since Israel’s pullout from the territory last year.

“The Palestinian leadership cannot demand national rights, while refusing to fulfill its national responsibility,” he said. “The Palestinian Authority must be held accountable for what happens in its territory and population.”

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton called for restraint on all sides. He said Israel must quickly complete an investigation into the killings and take steps to “avoid a repetition of this tragic incident.” He also condemned Palestinian militant rocket attacks into Israel, saying “there is no question that Israel has a right to defend itself and the lives of its citizens.”

An Israeli riot police officer chases a Palestinian girl during clashes following a demonstration against the Israeli offensive in Gaza (AP)

An Israeli riot police officer chases a Palestinian girl during clashes following a demonstration against the Israeli offensive in Gaza (AP)

Palestinians lob stones at an Israeli military checkpoint in the centre of the West Bank town of Hebron during a general strike (EPA)

Palestinians lob stones at an Israeli military checkpoint in the centre of the West Bank town of Hebron during a general strike (EPA)