TPC Staff
The Palestine Chronicle / August 23, 2024
“Violence in the West Bank is inexcusable. The violence in the Palestinian village of Jit last week was abhorrent. We call on Israel to take action against these extremists,” the British envoy said.
Members of the United Nations Security Council including the United States, Britain, and China denounced, during a session on Palestine on Thursday, the violence of illegal Jewish settlers inflicted against Palestinians in the West Bank and appealed to Israel to allow unrestricted humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip.
Illegal Jewish settler Violence
The US envoy to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, warned that “actions in the West Bank could escalate tensions at this fragile moment” and demanded they stop.
Thomas-Greenfield labeled the attacks by illegal Jewish settlers in the West Bank as “unacceptable” and asked that they stop, echoing earlier statements by the White House.
“Israeli authorities must take measures to protect these communities from harm, including by intervening to stop such violence and by holding all perpetrators to account,” the US envoy added.
The diplomat expressed concern over Israel’s announced plan on settlements and the legalization of illegal settlers’ outposts describing the Israeli government’s settlement program as “inconsistent with international law” and “detrimental to the prospects of a two-state solution.”
Britain’s envoy to the UN, James Kariuki also voiced his country’s condemnation of the violence of illegal Jewish settlers mentioning the recent attack on the village of Jit, east of Qalqilya, north of the West Bank.
“Violence in the West Bank is inexcusable. The violence in the Palestinian village of Jit last week was abhorrent. We call on Israel to take action against these extremists,” the British envoy said.
Kariuki deplored the ongoing expansion of settlements in the West Bank labeling the plan as “a clear violation of international law.”
The British envoy requested “immediate improvements, and there has to be accountability for the appalling settler violence in the West Bank.”
Chinese envoy Fu Cong and Algerian envoy Amir Bendjama also voiced criticism of their countries towards Israel’s settlements expansion plans.
Both envoys warned of the possible danger of “Gaza’s tragedy duplicating in the West Bank.”
Bendjama said that the expansion of settlements violates international law and blamed the Israeli government of “crushing any hope for an independent Palestinian state.”
“Israeli authorities deny the establishment of the Palestinian state. They annex Palestinian lands. They expand settlements, and frequently they storm Al-Aqsa Mosque. They enlarge settler terrorists in the West Bank,” the Algerian envoy stressed.
Ceasefire in Gaza
The US envoy asked the Security Council to “speak one voice” to secure a ceasefire, emphasizing that the ceasefire is needed “not soon, but now.”
“Because the well-being of all hostages is in jeopardy. Because Palestinians in Gaza are living under hellish conditions and are caught in the crosshairs of war. Because there’s a very real danger of regional escalation,” Thomas-Greenfield stressed.
The British envoy on his part criticized Israel’s renewed evacuation orders, which he described as “causing chaos in Gaza.”
Both Russian envoy Dmitry Polyanskiy and the Chinese envoy Fu Cong expressed their disappointment over the lack of progress in the peace talks and the obstruction of entry of humanitarian aid to the besieged Strip.
“Israel is now insisting on keeping the idea of a military presence in Gaza, including their control over the crossing with Egypt and the Philadelphia corridor. We do note that such a change as to the parameters of the deal is also something that some countries in the region vehemently object to,” the Russian envoy noted.
He followed this with a question addressed to the US: “On whose behalf are you acting when you push through a deal that is different from the original one?”, stressing that the Security Council never blessed the deal formulated in this way.”
Fu Cong on his turn reiterated his country’s criticism of the ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. “Blind faith in achieving a total victory in Gaza through military means will only result in more civilian casualties,” Fu Cong said.
“We urge countries with significant influence to demonstrate a sincere, impartial and responsible attitude in pushing Israel to seize its military operations in Gaza as soon as possible and to stop the killing of civilians,” the Chinese envoy stressed.
Polio outbreak
The Security Council members expressed concern over the outbreak of polio in the besieged Gaza Strip and asked Israel to speed up the entry of vaccination.
The US envoy told the council that it is working with Israel to “speed up clearances and remove restrictions so that Palestinian civilians can get much-needed food, medicine, shelter, clean water, and other essentials including vaccines.”
Thomas-Greenfield urged the Jewish state “to continue working with humanitarian agencies to provide polio vaccinations for Palestinian civilians, particularly children, in Gaza.”
The British envoy asked Israel to “allow safe and unhindered access aid access into and across Gaza and to put in place an effective mechanism to ensure aid and vaccines can be delivered and administered safely.”
China’s envoy on his part urged Israel to meet its international obligations and open all border crossings and end military actions to prevent further escalation.
The Algerian envoy described the international community’s response as inadequate regarding the health crisis in Gaza.
He however stressed that a “full-fledged (polio) vaccination campaign” cannot be achieved “under continuous Israeli bombardment.”
Taxes revenues to PA
The US envoy urged Israel to “release all owed Palestinian Authority tax revenues on time,” emphasizing that it allows “essential services, ensure peace, security, and stability in the West Bank, all of which are key to Israel’s security interests.”
