17 june 2018
By Ramona Wadi
The latest Human Rights Watch (HRW) report titled “Israel: Apparent War Crimes in Gaza” commences with a sentence that mars the rest of its investigation and analysis. “Israeli forces’ repeated use of lethal force in the Gaza Strip since March 30 2018, against Palestinian demonstrators who posed no imminent threat to life may amount to war crimes.”
Juxtaposing “International Law and Israeli Claims” in one of the report’s sections, HRW clearly shows that “when there is doubt as to a person’s civilian status, they must be presumed to be a civilian and may not be targeted”.
Article 8(2) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court gives eight acts that are considered as war crimes, among which are “wilful killing” and “wilfully causing great suffering, or serious injury to body and health” and “intentional directing attacks against civilian objects, that is, objects which are not military objectives”.
The absence of a judiciary power’s ruling leaves room for debate from a legal framework as regards accountability for war crimes. Yet the repetitive reports detailing Israeli atrocities while adorning the colonial power with the benefit of the doubt, knowing that holding Israel accountable so far has amounted to an empty slogan that is not even taken up by international diplomacy, harms Palestinian prospects severely.
HRW’s report details, from witness accounts, that the Israeli army’s snipers targeted civilians and personnel when clearly posing no threat. Palestinians were shot when moving away from the fence, unarmed. Civil defence worker Mohammad Meqdad stated: “The last people I evacuated before I was shot were three women, all in their late 20s, who were shot in the neck or in the head.”
In mentioning Israel’s targeting of civil defence workers and medics, there is a reference to Razan Al-Najjar, also murdered by Israeli snipers and which the Israeli army has attempted to shield itself from accountability by stating that “no shots were deliberately or directly aimed towards her”. This latter statement purportedly renders Israeli snipers as incompetent when it is well-known the opposite is true. Yet the same rhetoric was also applied during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, when Israel attempted – and failed – to convince the world that precision targeting was not the cause of civilian deaths in Gaza.
The report also refers to Defence for Children International – Palestine documenting the killing of seven Palestinian children on 14 May.
Another witness, Samer Nasser, described how he had attempted to evacuate a wounded man when Israeli forces again targeted the injured with a shot to his head and killed him.
Despite all the detailed atrocities, the recommendations offered by HRW are for the UN General Assembly to “support a resolution that calls for exploring measures to guarantee the protection of Palestinians in Gaza”, as well as a UN inquiry to identify the Israeli officials responsible for the killings. Both suggestions are not feasible for Palestinians.
According the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly, the UN Secretary General has 60 days in which he has to present “proposals on ways and means for ensuring the safety, protection and well-being of the Palestinian civilian population under Israeli occupation, including recommendations regarding an international protection mechanism”.
It must be remembered that when the international community was strongly in favour of an interventionist agenda there was no delay between resolution and implementation – the result being additional “collateral damage” sponsored by the international community.
In this case, the delay allows Israel to increase the number of victims while giving the UN enough time to mellow the resolution into another purportedly neutral stance that gives Israel additional advantage. Is there any recognition of the fact that resolutions to ostensibly protect Palestinians can be rendered obsolete not by the usual UN inaction, but a unified effort to dismantle Israel’s colonial project?
- Ramona Wadi is an independent researcher, freelance journalist, book reviewer and blogger. Her writing covers a range of themes in relation to Palestine, Chile and Latin America. Her article appeared in MEMO.
The latest Human Rights Watch (HRW) report titled “Israel: Apparent War Crimes in Gaza” commences with a sentence that mars the rest of its investigation and analysis. “Israeli forces’ repeated use of lethal force in the Gaza Strip since March 30 2018, against Palestinian demonstrators who posed no imminent threat to life may amount to war crimes.”
Juxtaposing “International Law and Israeli Claims” in one of the report’s sections, HRW clearly shows that “when there is doubt as to a person’s civilian status, they must be presumed to be a civilian and may not be targeted”.
Article 8(2) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court gives eight acts that are considered as war crimes, among which are “wilful killing” and “wilfully causing great suffering, or serious injury to body and health” and “intentional directing attacks against civilian objects, that is, objects which are not military objectives”.
The absence of a judiciary power’s ruling leaves room for debate from a legal framework as regards accountability for war crimes. Yet the repetitive reports detailing Israeli atrocities while adorning the colonial power with the benefit of the doubt, knowing that holding Israel accountable so far has amounted to an empty slogan that is not even taken up by international diplomacy, harms Palestinian prospects severely.
HRW’s report details, from witness accounts, that the Israeli army’s snipers targeted civilians and personnel when clearly posing no threat. Palestinians were shot when moving away from the fence, unarmed. Civil defence worker Mohammad Meqdad stated: “The last people I evacuated before I was shot were three women, all in their late 20s, who were shot in the neck or in the head.”
In mentioning Israel’s targeting of civil defence workers and medics, there is a reference to Razan Al-Najjar, also murdered by Israeli snipers and which the Israeli army has attempted to shield itself from accountability by stating that “no shots were deliberately or directly aimed towards her”. This latter statement purportedly renders Israeli snipers as incompetent when it is well-known the opposite is true. Yet the same rhetoric was also applied during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, when Israel attempted – and failed – to convince the world that precision targeting was not the cause of civilian deaths in Gaza.
The report also refers to Defence for Children International – Palestine documenting the killing of seven Palestinian children on 14 May.
Another witness, Samer Nasser, described how he had attempted to evacuate a wounded man when Israeli forces again targeted the injured with a shot to his head and killed him.
Despite all the detailed atrocities, the recommendations offered by HRW are for the UN General Assembly to “support a resolution that calls for exploring measures to guarantee the protection of Palestinians in Gaza”, as well as a UN inquiry to identify the Israeli officials responsible for the killings. Both suggestions are not feasible for Palestinians.
According the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly, the UN Secretary General has 60 days in which he has to present “proposals on ways and means for ensuring the safety, protection and well-being of the Palestinian civilian population under Israeli occupation, including recommendations regarding an international protection mechanism”.
It must be remembered that when the international community was strongly in favour of an interventionist agenda there was no delay between resolution and implementation – the result being additional “collateral damage” sponsored by the international community.
In this case, the delay allows Israel to increase the number of victims while giving the UN enough time to mellow the resolution into another purportedly neutral stance that gives Israel additional advantage. Is there any recognition of the fact that resolutions to ostensibly protect Palestinians can be rendered obsolete not by the usual UN inaction, but a unified effort to dismantle Israel’s colonial project?
- Ramona Wadi is an independent researcher, freelance journalist, book reviewer and blogger. Her writing covers a range of themes in relation to Palestine, Chile and Latin America. Her article appeared in MEMO.
Israeli drones on Sunday afternoon fired a missile at a group of Palestinian youths who were flying fire kites and balloons toward Israeli settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip.
Local sources said that another airstrike was launched on a Palestinian resistance site east of al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip with no casualties reported.
An Israeli army spokesman said that Israeli drones attacked a group of Palestinians who were preparing fire balloons near the border.
Vast tracts of farmlands in Israeli settlements neighboring the Gaza Strip were damaged by dozens of flaming kites and balloons launched from the coastal enclave.
Hebrew media outlets described the massive fires that broke out in some Israeli settlements on Saturday as the "most violent" since the start of the Great March of Return in late March.
Local sources said that another airstrike was launched on a Palestinian resistance site east of al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip with no casualties reported.
An Israeli army spokesman said that Israeli drones attacked a group of Palestinians who were preparing fire balloons near the border.
Vast tracts of farmlands in Israeli settlements neighboring the Gaza Strip were damaged by dozens of flaming kites and balloons launched from the coastal enclave.
Hebrew media outlets described the massive fires that broke out in some Israeli settlements on Saturday as the "most violent" since the start of the Great March of Return in late March.
An Israeli military drone fired, on Sunday at dawn, a missile at a Palestinian car which was parked near a mosque, east of Gaza City.
The missile destroyed the car, which was empty at the time of the attack, and caused fire around it, but did not lead to any casualties, media sources in Gaza said.
According to the Israeli army, the targeted car was used by what it called “the leader of a cell that launches incendiary kites and balloons into Israel.”
It added that the strike came in retaliation to “explosive and incendiary balloons and kites, launched from the Gaza Strip” and added that the army “will continue to target, with escalating force, groups responsible for attacks, which endanger the lives of Israelis near the Gaza Strip.”
It held Hamas fully responsible for any escalation and warned that the movement “will suffer the consequences of these attacks.”
On Saturday evening, two Palestinians were injured after an Israeli military drone fired a missile at Palestinians allegedly flying burning kites from central Gaza.
It is worth mentioning that Israeli soldiers have killed 128 Palestinians, and injured approximately 15000 others, since the ” Return March” nonviolent protests started on the Gaza Strip, on Palestinian Land Day on March 30th.
Among the slain Palestinians are two medics, identified as Razan Najjar, 22, and Mousa Jaber Abu Hassanein, 36. The soldiers also injured 223 medics, and caused damage to 37 ambulances.
In addition, the army killed two journalists, identified as Yasser Mortaja, 31, and Ahmad Abu Hussein, 25, and injured 144 others.
The missile destroyed the car, which was empty at the time of the attack, and caused fire around it, but did not lead to any casualties, media sources in Gaza said.
According to the Israeli army, the targeted car was used by what it called “the leader of a cell that launches incendiary kites and balloons into Israel.”
It added that the strike came in retaliation to “explosive and incendiary balloons and kites, launched from the Gaza Strip” and added that the army “will continue to target, with escalating force, groups responsible for attacks, which endanger the lives of Israelis near the Gaza Strip.”
It held Hamas fully responsible for any escalation and warned that the movement “will suffer the consequences of these attacks.”
On Saturday evening, two Palestinians were injured after an Israeli military drone fired a missile at Palestinians allegedly flying burning kites from central Gaza.
It is worth mentioning that Israeli soldiers have killed 128 Palestinians, and injured approximately 15000 others, since the ” Return March” nonviolent protests started on the Gaza Strip, on Palestinian Land Day on March 30th.
Among the slain Palestinians are two medics, identified as Razan Najjar, 22, and Mousa Jaber Abu Hassanein, 36. The soldiers also injured 223 medics, and caused damage to 37 ambulances.
In addition, the army killed two journalists, identified as Yasser Mortaja, 31, and Ahmad Abu Hussein, 25, and injured 144 others.
16 june 2018
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Turkey's Prime Minister Yıldırım tells TV show 'The Israeli singer wasn’t good. Israel is only able to kill, not to sing,' arguing that the voting system was changed so Israel could win and host the competition in Jerusalem, thus 'sowing strife between religions.'
Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım accused Israel on Friday of tampering with the Eurovision Song Contest results so it could win it with Netta Barzilai's song "Toy." "The Israeli singer wasn’t good. Israel is only able to kill, not to sing,” he charged during an interview with Turkish Babala TV. |
Yıldırım implied Israel had faked its win in order to hold next year's Eurovision in Jerusalem and instigate a religious war.
"The song contest this year developed to an ideological thing. For the first time, they let Israel win the competition so that they can host it next year," he claimed.
Yıldırım argued Israel had won this year's Eurovision despite not receiving the highest score.
"They let them win despite not getting points as it’s being held in the country next year that won. They changed the voting method. They planned everything so that it can be held in Jerusalem purposely," Yıldırım claimed.
"The imperialists did it since they want the contest to be held in Jerusalem next year in order to sow strife between religions" in the region, he went on to say.
Turkey hasn't participated in the singing competition since 2013. It decided to boycott the Eurovision, claiming there was discrimination in favor of the large countries in the European Union.
Yıldırım told Babala TV that Turkey does not plan to return to the competition.
Turkey is not the only country to come out against the possibility of holding the Eurovision in Jerusalem next year.
Some 22,000 of Iceland's citizens signed an online petition demanding to boycott the contest in the wake of the Gaza border violence and Israel's policy towards Palestinians. As a result, Iceland's RÚV national public broadcasting organization is expected to convene in the near future to decide whether the country will cancel its participation next year.
In The Netherlands, a parody of Israel's winning song "Toy" was criticized by Jewish and pro-Israel groups as "anti-Semitic."
"The song contest this year developed to an ideological thing. For the first time, they let Israel win the competition so that they can host it next year," he claimed.
Yıldırım argued Israel had won this year's Eurovision despite not receiving the highest score.
"They let them win despite not getting points as it’s being held in the country next year that won. They changed the voting method. They planned everything so that it can be held in Jerusalem purposely," Yıldırım claimed.
"The imperialists did it since they want the contest to be held in Jerusalem next year in order to sow strife between religions" in the region, he went on to say.
Turkey hasn't participated in the singing competition since 2013. It decided to boycott the Eurovision, claiming there was discrimination in favor of the large countries in the European Union.
Yıldırım told Babala TV that Turkey does not plan to return to the competition.
Turkey is not the only country to come out against the possibility of holding the Eurovision in Jerusalem next year.
Some 22,000 of Iceland's citizens signed an online petition demanding to boycott the contest in the wake of the Gaza border violence and Israel's policy towards Palestinians. As a result, Iceland's RÚV national public broadcasting organization is expected to convene in the near future to decide whether the country will cancel its participation next year.
In The Netherlands, a parody of Israel's winning song "Toy" was criticized by Jewish and pro-Israel groups as "anti-Semitic."
Two Palestinian youths were injured on Saturday evening in an airstrike launched by an Israeli drone near the border fence east of al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
The PIC reporter said that an Israeli drone fired at least one missile at a group of Palestinians near the Great March of Return camps injuring two of them.
The Israeli occupation army two days ago said that Israeli drones fired "warning shots" at groups of Palestinian youths trying to fly fire kites and balloons toward Israeli settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip.
Since the early morning hours, massive fires have erupted in 15 different locations in Israeli settlements in the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories by fire kites and balloons sent from the Gaza Strip.
The Hebrew TV channel 10 reported that nearly 1,000 dunums of farmland have been damaged so far.
The PIC reporter said that an Israeli drone fired at least one missile at a group of Palestinians near the Great March of Return camps injuring two of them.
The Israeli occupation army two days ago said that Israeli drones fired "warning shots" at groups of Palestinian youths trying to fly fire kites and balloons toward Israeli settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip.
Since the early morning hours, massive fires have erupted in 15 different locations in Israeli settlements in the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories by fire kites and balloons sent from the Gaza Strip.
The Hebrew TV channel 10 reported that nearly 1,000 dunums of farmland have been damaged so far.
Hebrew media sources on Saturday reported that Israeli firefighting teams have been trying since the afternoon to extinguish two massive fires in the farmlands of Kissufin settlement in the 1948 occupied Palestine.
Haaretz newspaper said that the fires were caused by flaming kites or balloons sent form the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli settlements neighboring the Gaza Strip have suffered significant losses after vast tracts of their farmlands were damaged by fires caused by flaming kites and balloons prepared by Palestinian youths protesting along the border fence in the Great March of Return.
In a related context, Israel Hayom newspaper said that three Palestinian youths crossed the border fence east of Gaza on Saturday and attempted to damage military equipment used by the Israeli army.
Eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that the youths managed to withdraw into the Gaza Strip after the Israeli army opened fire at them.
Haaretz newspaper said that the fires were caused by flaming kites or balloons sent form the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli settlements neighboring the Gaza Strip have suffered significant losses after vast tracts of their farmlands were damaged by fires caused by flaming kites and balloons prepared by Palestinian youths protesting along the border fence in the Great March of Return.
In a related context, Israel Hayom newspaper said that three Palestinian youths crossed the border fence east of Gaza on Saturday and attempted to damage military equipment used by the Israeli army.
Eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that the youths managed to withdraw into the Gaza Strip after the Israeli army opened fire at them.
15 june 2018
An Israeli drone on Friday fired a missile at a group of fire-kite flyers at the Great March of Return east of al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
The PIC reporter said that the airstrike did not result in any casualties, adding that this attack is the third of its kind against Gaza's kite flyers.
In a related context, the PIC reporter said that massive fires erupted in farmlands of Israeli settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip by flaming kites launched from the enclave.
The Kites Unit of the Great March of Return has vowed to fly thousands of fire-kites toward the Israeli settlements on Friday, while the Israeli army threatened to attack the Palestinian youths responsible for flying the kites following statements by Israel's Prime Minister on Thursday in which he described Gaza's kites as a "nightmare".
The PIC reporter said that the airstrike did not result in any casualties, adding that this attack is the third of its kind against Gaza's kite flyers.
In a related context, the PIC reporter said that massive fires erupted in farmlands of Israeli settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip by flaming kites launched from the enclave.
The Kites Unit of the Great March of Return has vowed to fly thousands of fire-kites toward the Israeli settlements on Friday, while the Israeli army threatened to attack the Palestinian youths responsible for flying the kites following statements by Israel's Prime Minister on Thursday in which he described Gaza's kites as a "nightmare".
Tens of thousands of Palestinians on Friday morning performed Eid al-Fitr prayer in the Great March of Return camps east of Gaza and Khan Younis cities.
The Eid prayer was attended by men, women and children in addition to leaders from the Palestinian resistance movements.
Member of Hamas's Political Bureau Khalil al-Hayya said during the Eid sermon, east of Gaza city, that the Great March of Return protests will continue until the siege is broken and the refugees' right of return is restored.
Al-Hayya held the Israeli occupation responsible for the repercussions of the ongoing blockade on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
He affirmed that the Palestinians are determined to return to their lands, break the siege and put an end to all conspiracies aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause, stressing the need for achieving national unity.
For his part, the Islamic Jihad leader Khader Habib said during the Eid sermon in the Return camps east of Khan Younis city, south of the Gaza Strip, that the Palestinian people have proved through the Great March of Return protests that they have no intention to give up any part of Palestine, including Jerusalem.
Habib stressed that performing the Eid prayer near the border fence confirms that the Palestinians will follow the path of the martyrs killed in the protests until their demands are fulfilled.
The Eid prayer was attended by men, women and children in addition to leaders from the Palestinian resistance movements.
Member of Hamas's Political Bureau Khalil al-Hayya said during the Eid sermon, east of Gaza city, that the Great March of Return protests will continue until the siege is broken and the refugees' right of return is restored.
Al-Hayya held the Israeli occupation responsible for the repercussions of the ongoing blockade on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
He affirmed that the Palestinians are determined to return to their lands, break the siege and put an end to all conspiracies aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause, stressing the need for achieving national unity.
For his part, the Islamic Jihad leader Khader Habib said during the Eid sermon in the Return camps east of Khan Younis city, south of the Gaza Strip, that the Palestinian people have proved through the Great March of Return protests that they have no intention to give up any part of Palestine, including Jerusalem.
Habib stressed that performing the Eid prayer near the border fence confirms that the Palestinians will follow the path of the martyrs killed in the protests until their demands are fulfilled.
The Kites Unit at the Great March of Return announced that it will fly 5,000 balloons and fire kites on the first day of Eid al-Fitr towards Israeli settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip.
The Kites Unit said during a press conference on Thursday that it would fly 5,000 balloons and fire kites on the morning of the first day of Eid from all areas of Gaza Strip towards the 1948 occupied territories.
“At a time when the siege is intensifying, and in light of the ongoing aggression and the continuation of the Great March of Return, we are preparing balloons and fire kites to burn the lands of Israeli settlers,” the Unit added.
“We will continue with all our strength until our goals are achieved, and the settlers will not enjoy security and stability until the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip is lifted,” said one of the unit's spokesmen.
The unit gave the occupation government a few days to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip, “Otherwise, we will make settlers living around the Gaza Strip live, just like us, under the siege of fire kites and balloons. The siege will no longer burn us alone.”
The spokesman pointed out that young people have developed their work individually and collectively, and that they will use balloons that will reach up to more than 40 kilometers to increase the area of fire.
Meanwhile, an Israeli drone targeted on Thursday a group of Palestinian youths east of al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
One of the survivors of the raid told the PIC: “The youths were flying fire kites and balloons from tents erected at the Great March of Return, before they were targeted by a drone with a missile that fell next to them and caused material damage to one of the tents.”
Two and a half hours later, a drone fired a second missile at another group preparing to launch kites, causing material damage to a water tank inside one of the tents and no injuries were reported.
Israeli settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip had suffered significant losses by those fire kites and balloons after vast tracts of their fields were damaged by resultant fires.
The Kites Unit said during a press conference on Thursday that it would fly 5,000 balloons and fire kites on the morning of the first day of Eid from all areas of Gaza Strip towards the 1948 occupied territories.
“At a time when the siege is intensifying, and in light of the ongoing aggression and the continuation of the Great March of Return, we are preparing balloons and fire kites to burn the lands of Israeli settlers,” the Unit added.
“We will continue with all our strength until our goals are achieved, and the settlers will not enjoy security and stability until the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip is lifted,” said one of the unit's spokesmen.
The unit gave the occupation government a few days to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip, “Otherwise, we will make settlers living around the Gaza Strip live, just like us, under the siege of fire kites and balloons. The siege will no longer burn us alone.”
The spokesman pointed out that young people have developed their work individually and collectively, and that they will use balloons that will reach up to more than 40 kilometers to increase the area of fire.
Meanwhile, an Israeli drone targeted on Thursday a group of Palestinian youths east of al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
One of the survivors of the raid told the PIC: “The youths were flying fire kites and balloons from tents erected at the Great March of Return, before they were targeted by a drone with a missile that fell next to them and caused material damage to one of the tents.”
Two and a half hours later, a drone fired a second missile at another group preparing to launch kites, causing material damage to a water tank inside one of the tents and no injuries were reported.
Israeli settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip had suffered significant losses by those fire kites and balloons after vast tracts of their fields were damaged by resultant fires.
14 june 2018
Ahmad Ziad Tawfiq al-‘Aassi, 21
The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported, Thursday, that a young man, who was shot and seriously injured by Israeli army fire, has succumbed to his serious wounds.
Dr. Ashraf al-Qedra, the spokesperson of the Health Ministry in Gaza, identified the slain Palestinian man as Ahmad Ziad Tawfiq al-‘Aassi, 21.
He added that the young man was shot, several days ago, with an Israeli gas bomb which struck him directly in his head, causing very serious wounds.
The Palestinian was rushed to the Gaza European Hospital, in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, and remained in the Intensive Care Unit until he succumbed to his serious wounds.
His death brings the number of Palestinians, who were killed by Israeli army fire since March 30th, to 126, including two journalists and thirteen children.
The army also injured 13672 others, including hundreds of suffered serious wounds, mainly after being shot with expanding bullets.
The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported, Thursday, that a young man, who was shot and seriously injured by Israeli army fire, has succumbed to his serious wounds.
Dr. Ashraf al-Qedra, the spokesperson of the Health Ministry in Gaza, identified the slain Palestinian man as Ahmad Ziad Tawfiq al-‘Aassi, 21.
He added that the young man was shot, several days ago, with an Israeli gas bomb which struck him directly in his head, causing very serious wounds.
The Palestinian was rushed to the Gaza European Hospital, in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, and remained in the Intensive Care Unit until he succumbed to his serious wounds.
His death brings the number of Palestinians, who were killed by Israeli army fire since March 30th, to 126, including two journalists and thirteen children.
The army also injured 13672 others, including hundreds of suffered serious wounds, mainly after being shot with expanding bullets.
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The U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning Israel’s use of excessive force on Palestinian civilians.
The resolution passed by a vote of 120-8 with 45 countries abstaining. A U.S. bid to condemn Hamas, a Palestinian fundamentalist group, for attacks on Israel also received a majority vote in favor — 62-58 with 42 abstaining — but the president of the General Assembly rejected it because it didn’t have the required two-thirds majority to pass. The resolution is unlikely to lead to any action against Israel because the United States, a close ally of the nation, would veto it. |
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who introduced the amendment to blame Hamas, criticized the UNGA for focusing on violence in Israel instead of in Nicaragua, Yemen or Myanmar.
“Gaza is important, but what makes it more urgent than many other desperate places?” she asked. “What makes Gaza different for some is that attacking Israel is their favorite sport.”
The primary resolution was introduced by representatives in Turkey, on behalf of the Islamic Cooperation, and Algeria, on behalf of the Arab League.
Turkish Ambassador to the United Nations Feridun Siniroglu told the UNGA before the vote that the resolution wasn’t about taking sides.
“It is about supporting de-escalation on the ground. It is about deterring further violence from taking place,” he said. “It is a call to the secretary-general to come up with his recommendations on how to protect civilians from further attack. It is a call to all sides to put an end to loss of lives.”
“Gaza is important, but what makes it more urgent than many other desperate places?” she asked. “What makes Gaza different for some is that attacking Israel is their favorite sport.”
The primary resolution was introduced by representatives in Turkey, on behalf of the Islamic Cooperation, and Algeria, on behalf of the Arab League.
Turkish Ambassador to the United Nations Feridun Siniroglu told the UNGA before the vote that the resolution wasn’t about taking sides.
“It is about supporting de-escalation on the ground. It is about deterring further violence from taking place,” he said. “It is a call to the secretary-general to come up with his recommendations on how to protect civilians from further attack. It is a call to all sides to put an end to loss of lives.”
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