The U.N. Security Council discussed on Thursday a resolution demanding Israel pull back its troops from Palestinian cities. Palestinians also said Israeli leaders should be put on trial for war crimes following Tuesday's air raid on Gaza City which targeted a wanted Hamas leader but also killed nine children.
Arab envoys, in a letter, asked the Security Council in New York to adopt "the necessary immediate measures to ensure an end to the current tragic situation" in light of "the continued Israeli military aggression against the Palestinian people" and the "extremely grave and deteriorating (humanitarian) situation" in Palestinian areas. The draft resolution demanded that Israel pull back its troops to the positions held prior to September 2000.
Palestinian U.N. observer Nasser al-Kidwa said the world needed to stop Israeli actions whether on the ground or in the political sphere or in the courts. Al-Kidwa told the council that "this Israel assault presents the first blatant war crime" since the new International Criminal Court came into force on July 1.
He said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and "his lieutenants" committed acts that fit the statutes of the tribunal, although legal experts say the court's many regulations would prevent an Israeli leader from being tried. Al-Kidwa said Sharon tried to portray his acts as a response to suicide bombings. But in reality Sharon wanted to block any serious peace settlement "so that the occupation and the colonization of settlement activities could continue."
In an obvious reference to the United States, he said that those who did not confront Sharon made matters worse and resulted in "a lot of motion without any real movement" as "avoiding the truth is not going to make it disappear."
In response, Israel's deputy ambassador, Aaron Jacob, expressed "great regret" at the deaths. But he said the action was prompted by the failure of the Palestinian Authority to stop "one of the most prolific and brutal terrorists", Salah Shehada. "The Palestinians never lifted a finger," Jacob said, adding that Israel was left with no choice but to defend its people.
Jacob admitted that Israel had not anticipated the extent of the collateral damage and said the operation would never have been carried out if the result could have been known beforehand. "We do not celebrate the death of innocents as a military victory as do our adversaries," he said, while accusing “terrorist” groups of using Palestinian civilians as human shields. "Salah Shehade had no more concern for the lives of those close to him than he did for the hundreds of Israelis whose lives he destroyed."
Saudi Arabia, current chairman of the Arab group at the United Nations, called for the emergency council meeting to condemn the raid and adopt a resolution demanding the "withdrawal of the Israeli occupying forces from Palestinian cities".
Before the debate, U.S. officials said Washington would oppose the U.N. draft resolution if put to a vote. U.S. ambassador John Negroponte said past council resolutions formed a "more than adequate basis to achieve a solution to the Middle East question" and the world should turn its attention to "constructive diplomatic efforts".
Reiterating President George W. Bush's goal of two states living side by side in peace within secure borders within three years, he said the Security Council also had to address the action of Hamas and other "terrorist" groups in the region. "We should question why they are not more often a focus of council attention," he said. But Negroponte noted the Bush administration had condemned as "heavy-handed" action that did not help the cause of peace.
All council members said the raid was unacceptable and risked squashing all peace efforts. Typical was Irish Ambassador John Ryan, who said an attack of this sort was bound to cause casualties. "To suggest anything otherwise is disingenuous," he said.
France's UN ambassador Jean-David Levitte said Israel should refrain from extra-judicial killings. "Such a deliberate act is unjustifiable and can in no way contribute to resolving the current crisis," Levitte said.
British Ambassador Sir Jeremy Greenstock, called the bomb dropped in Gaza City "unacceptable and harmful." Israel had a right to protect itself but not through excessive acts.
And Indian Ambassador V.K. Nambiar told the council: "Even while we have noted the statement by Israel that this was a mistake, we cannot but strongly deplore such acts of unwarranted violence and indiscriminate killings at a time when serious efforts are afoot to broker a cease-fire."
Chinese ambassador Wag Yingfan condemned what he described as a "vicious development" in Israeli-Palestinian violence and said it could only interfere with diplomatic efforts to seek a resolution. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
