bismi-lLahi-rRahmani-rRahiem
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
=== News Update ===
| Last update - 20:16 09/11/2006 |
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U.S. plans to veto proposed UN resolution on Beit Hanun deaths
By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent
The U.S. is threatening to veto a proposal for a United Nations Security Council resolution regarding the deaths of 19 Palestinian citizens in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanun on Wednesday.
The Palestinian citizens were accidentally killed in an Israel Defense Forces shelling meant to destroy Qassam rocket launchers in the area.
The draft was written and distributed among Security Council members on Wednesday by Qatar, a non-permanent member of the Security Council.
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The proposal calls for an "immediate investigation into the massacre that took place in Beit Hanun" and calls on Israel to "cease all violence against the civilian population in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem."
The Qatari draft also demands the deployment of UN observers in the area to oversee the implementation of the cease-fire outlined in the draft.
Sources in New York report that senior American officials have denounced the draft in its present formulation. The Qatari draft makes no mention of the Qassam rockets fired by Palestinians into Israel, nor does it mention IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who was abducted by Palestinian militants in June.
Deputy head of the Israeli delegation to the UN Danny Carmon said in response "the Palestinian citizens were killed, in all likelihood, by Israeli fire, but in fact, they fell victim to the terrorism of Hamas."
The official discussion over the draft began Thursday evening, but it is not yet clear when the vote will take place. Sources estimate the vote will be postponed until Friday, if not next week.
Arab foreign ministers to hold emergency meeting on IDF Gaza offensive
Arab foreign ministers will gather for an emergency meeting to discuss a common response to the recent IDF offensive in the Gaza Strip, the Arab League secretary-general said Thursday.
Secretary General Amr Moussa said he called for the meeting on Sunday in Cairo at the request of Palestinian and Lebanese officials to "look into practical steps and measures to deal with the Israeli ongoing and recurrent aggression on the Palestinian people, latest of which is the Beit Hanun massacre."
source:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=786114&contrassID=1&subContrassID=1
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France demands independent probe of Beit Hanoun incident
Ambassador to the UN Jean Marc Chevalier says his country demands independent investigation into IDF shelling of north Gaza town; United States expected to veto Security Council decision against Israel regarding recent IDF operations in Gaza; ‘Israeli occupying forces have committed another massacre,’ Palestinian UN observer Riyad Mansour says
Yitzhak Benhorin
| Latest Update: | 11.09.06, 19:09 |
WASHINGTON - France’s Ambassador to the UN Jean Marc Chevalier said during a Security Council meeting Thursday that his country demanded an independent investigation of the circumstances of Wednesday’s incident in Beit Hanoun in which 18 Palestinians were killed by IDF fire.
"France wants an investigation of this attack, an independent investigation,” Chevalier said.
The US was expected to veto Thursday night’s UN Security Council decision against Israel regarding recent IDF operations in the Gaza Strip and the killing of Palestinians in Beit Hanoun Wednesday.
A Palestinian proposal to establish an international investigation committee and the stationing of UN observers in the Strip was expected to come up in the meeting. Due to US objections, it wasn’t clear whether there would be a vote at the end of the meeting.
The demand to convene the Security Council was raised on Monday by Qatar, the only Arab Council representative. The demand was initially rejected, but the Beit Hanoun incident changed matters.
US Ambassador John Bolton said Qatar's request was discussed by the council on Tuesday "and there was no support for it."
The Palestinian proposal makes no mention of the Quartet’s decision calling on the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority to recognize Israel, accept past agreements and denounce terror. There is also no mention of the incessant Qassam rocket attacks on Israel, which the IDF’s activity in Gaza was meant to prevent.
The clause calling for the stationing of foreign observers in Gaza is especially problematic for Israel and the US, as it is Israel’s position that the Palestinians must take responsibility for Gaza and put an end to the rocket attacks.
'Israel regrets the death of the innocent civilians'
Palestinian UN observer Riyad Mansour said it was time for the UN's most powerful
"The Israeli occupying forces have committed another massacre this morning in Beit Hanoun," Mansour said. "The Security Council has to react and to react immediately in order to stop this aggression and these crimes against the Palestinian people."
Danny Carmon, the deputy head of the Israeli delegation to the UN, said during the meeting that the escalation stems from the Qassam rocket fire on Israel, which is acting ‘in self-defense.’ He stressed that the death of the Palestinian family in Beit Hanoun was an ‘unfortunate accident.’
“Israel regrets the death of the innocent civilians,” Carmon said, adding that Israel treated some of those wounded in the incident and launched an investigation into the IDF’s artillery fire in the north Gaza town.
Carmon said that Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in the hope that the Palestinian would manage it responsibly as a first step to the establishment of a Palestinian state that can live side by side in peace with Israel.
But since Israel left the Gaza Strip Palestinians fired 1,000 Qassams. "Israel is asked again and again to show restraint. But the question is until when. After 1,000 rockets? 2,000 rockets?" Carmon asked.
He spoke about the need to release the Israeli soldier, while Karnit Goldwasser, the wife of kidnapped soldier, Ehud Goldwasser, was present. "She is here to remind members of the Council who voted on Resolution 1701 that they are obliged to fulfill what they voted for and act for the release of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers."
Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned the killing of the Palestinian family in Beit Hanun, and noted that he had warned Israel of the dangers involved in operating in densely populated areas.
He said the Israel had promised to investigate the incident.
"Over the weekend, I had the opportunity of talking to the Israeli Prime Minister requesting that they exercise maximum restraint. I also spoke to President Abbas urging him to do whatever he can to ensure that Katyushas (rockets) going into Israel were also stopped," Annan told a news conference.
source:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/1,7340,L-3326287,00.html
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