AA / United Nations / Betul Yuruk
Palestine on Monday requested protection from the international community following recent Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip, which left 46 Palestinians dead.
The Palestinian representative to the UN told the UN Security Council that this was an unjustified and unprovoked aggression.
“His real reason is thinly veiled: the upcoming Israeli elections and the desperate need to seduce the extremists,” said Riyad Mansour, adding: “We need protection. Our civilians are entitled to protection. Our children have a right to protection.”
”Do you know what it feels like to be helpless? What does it feel like when you are unable to offer any protection to your child?… Having to survive a war to wait for the next attack?” he asked.
The call came after an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire to end three days of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and retaliatory rocket fire.
The UN welcomed this truce, but warned that it was fragile.
“Any resumption of hostilities will only have devastating consequences for Palestinians and Israelis and will render any political progress unachievable,” said UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland.
He said efforts to achieve the truce helped prevent the outbreak of a full-scale war and enabled the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
Tor Wennesland also welcomed the reopening by the Israeli authorities of the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings, which allowed a total of 23 fuel tankers to enter Gaza, allowing the Strip power plant to resume its activities.
Israel’s representative to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said Israel was defending itself against what he called “terrorist attacks” and “deliberate” rocket attacks.
US Representative to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield called on both sides to fully respect the ceasefire and said the US was working hard to prevent further violence.
During this attack, 46 Palestinians were killed, including 15 children, and 360 others were injured. Hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed, and 70 Israelis were injured by Palestinian rocket fire, according to the UN.
*Translated from English by Mourad Belhaj
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