UPDATED ON:
Thursday, January 01, 2009
12:26 Mecca time, 09:26 GMT
News Middle East
UN divided on Gaza resolution
Aid agencies say Israel's continuing assault threatens to bring humanitarian
catastrophe to Gaza [Reuters]
With Israeli jets continuing to pound the Gaza Strip, members of the UN
Security Council have ended an emergency meeting on the crisis after failing to
agree on the wording of a draft resolution.
The meeting at UN headquarters in New York late on Wednesday came as Israel's
assault on Gaza entered a sixth day, with the death toll nearing 400 and much
of the territory in ruins.
The latest targets included three government buildings in Gaza City, struck by
Israeli missiles in the early hours of Thursday local time.
Palestinian officials said the attacks left at least 25 people injured.
The special session of the security council followed calls from Arab countries
for an urgent resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, and warnings from
aid agencies that the people of Gaza are facing a humanitarian catastrophe.
In video
Mahmoud Abbas addresses the Palestinian people
But diplomats said the meeting was unlikely to produce any vote in the near
future, with deep divisions among council members over the wording of any
resolution.
Negotiations are expected to continue in the coming days.
But despite mounting international pressure, Israel has so far rejected calls
for a ceasefire and has continued to build up its forces along the border in
preparation for a possible ground invasion.
It says the assault is aimed at the Hamas leadership in Gaza and intended to
destroy the ability of its fighters to launch rocket attacks on Israeli towns
and cities.
In depth
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During Wednesday's Security Council meeting, Libya, the only Arab country on
the council, presented an Arab-drafted resolution calling for "an immediate
ceasefire and for its full respect by both sides."
But diplomats said the wording of the draft was unlikely to be acceptable to
the veto-holding United States and other Western countries.
"It's going to need a lot of work," one Western diplomat told Reuters.
The draft resolution, a copy of which was obtained by Al Jazeera, denounced
"the excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force by Israel" but
made only vague reference to Hamas rocket attacks on Israel.
The US has said any lasting ceasefire is dependent on concrete assurances from
Hamas – in terms that are acceptable to Israel – that the rocket attacks will
stop.
With food and fuel supplies running dangerously low, the situation for
thousands of Gaza residents is becoming increasingly desperate.
According to John Holmes, the United Nation's chief humanitarian official, more
than 20,000 people have gone without food since the beginning of the Israeli
assault, with many more resorting to begging or picking through rubbish dumps.
During Wednesday's UN meeting Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian permanent
observer, called on the Security Council to take strong and urgent action.
"Our children in the Gaza Strip today and their mothers are looking up to you
to stop this barbarian aggression and to protect them from this criminality,
this forced hunger and this deliberate killing," he said.
"We hope that you will not let them down."
'Barbaric'
Thousands of Gaza civilians have little or no shelter from Israeli raids [AFP]
Earlier on Wednesday in a strongly-worded statement, Mahmoud Abbas, the
Palestinian president, threatened to abandon peace talks in response to what he
called Israel's "criminal aggression".
"The most important obligation is to rally the forces, nationally and
regionally, to end the barbaric and criminal Israeli aggression against our
people in the Gaza Strip," he said in a televised address.
At least 393 Palestinians, including dozens of civilians, have been killed and
about 1,600 injured as Israeli warplanes and helicopter gunships have dropped
hundreds of bombs and missiles on the densely-populated strip.
Abbas, who had been criticised for blaming rival faction Hamas for provoking
the Israeli attacks, and accused of colluding with Israel over the operations
on Gaza, said he "would not hesitate to put negotiations to an end if they come
into conflict with our interests".
"Peace does not mean humiliation or surrender," he said. "Our people are still
equipped with more options."
His statement followed comments from Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister,
who said: "If conditions ripen and we think there will be a diplomatic solution
that will ensure a better security reality in the south, we will consider it.
"But at the moment, it's not there."
'Durable' solution
"Israel will embark on a veritable adventure if it decides to invade Gaza. We
have prepared surprises for them"
Mushir al-Masri,
senior Hamas official
Olmert was speaking after Israel's security cabinet rejected a French proposal
for a 48-hour truce to allow for the passage of humanitarian aid into the
besieged territory.
Mark Regev, an Israeli government spokesman, said a "durable" solution was
needed rather than the "band-aid" that would be provided by a 48-hour truce.
"What we need is a solution that will create real quiet ... the only people who
really wanted this were Hamas, because we have been hitting them hard and
they'd like time to regroup and rearm," he told Al Jazeera.
Israel has targeted many of the underground tunnels leading out of Gaza into
Egypt, which have been a lifeline to Palestinians for food, fuel and medical
supplies since Israel closed Gaza's border crossings 18 months ago.
Israeli forces have massed along Gaza's border ahead of a possible invasion
[GALLO/GETTY]
In addition Israel's military has been moving soldiers, tanks and armoured
personnel carriers to Gaza's edge amid ongoing concerns that the aerial assault
will be followed by a ground offensive.
Hamas said on Wednesday that it would fight "until the last breath" if Israel
sent ground forces into Gaza.
"Israel will embark on a veritable adventure if it decides to invade Gaza. We
have prepared surprises for them," Mushir al-Masri, a senior Hamas official,
said.
Ayman Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, said that in the event of
a ground incursion, Palestinian factions felt that they had the advantage, due
to the preparations they have made over the past six months of the truce.
"They say they have acquired new weapons, new munitions, new explosive devices
and this is where they feel they enjoy more of an advantage in terms of the
ability to face an Israeli incursion," he said.
"They certainly know they can't compete with Israel's air superiority and that
is why Israel has been warned against launching a [ground] operation here in
Gaza."
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 6
haniff
South Africa 01/01/2009
truce in gaza
Abbas can't be a 'puppet' if his speech came thru his heart. Now, Hamas must
come to terms & forge a united Palestinian approach towards a common enemy. The
united Palestinians must insist on removal of all walls, open crossings,
Jerusalem soveriegnty, recognition of Hamas as partners in the liberation of
Palestine & not 'terrorists', etc. Together with that, the global Muslim &
supportive countries must boycott Israel & the US with Divestment, Boycotts &
Sanctions & refuse negotiations.
Mohamed Adham
Sri Lanka 01/01/2009
UNITED NATIONS
The hypocrisy of the UN is just unbeleivable. So many resolutions have been
passed quickly, including the false Iraq war(with or without UN approval) but
whenever it comes to Israel then we have all kinds of tangles within tangles.
The UN is not a just place. It is a biased organization with no equal justice.
Its a toothless tiger controlled by vested interests who know how to take care
of their proxies. Bottom line is MUSLIM BLOOD does not count in this world.
imagine the other way around!!
Saif
Egypt 01/01/2009
What does it take to make the UN act - 500 deaths? 1,000 deaths?
Aisha A.H
Qatar 01/01/2009
United Nations - The United Nothing!
I would laugh right now if the situation wasnt as grave as deaths of 400+
people.The Palestinians are sitting ducks being killed off in scores & the UN
have failed to reach an agreement because they didnt know how to word the
resolution!?!Then they have failed in the very purpose of their existence! I
wonder what UN would've done had a similar situation befallen US. But then
again, the US/Israeli's run the UN. This is a genocide by Israel and swift
justice must be taken before their true motive is achieved
Gideon
Canada 01/01/2009
How dare you talk about "bias" in favour of Israel.One (1) Jewish state agianst
over Fifty (50) muslim states in the General Assembly!!! On the other hand, the
UN Security Council is the only UN body in which israel has a chance of getting
a fair decision. Israel will be there forever, if palestinians want peace, we
are ready, you have to recognize Israel like Anwar Sadat did, but first you
have to say bye bye to fantasies of destroying it.
David
United States 01/01/2009
Peace
It is true that the UN is a joke, but if you are looking for bais, it is biased
against Israel! The reason it is having trouble condemning Israel now is that
it is so clear that Israel is acting in self-defense. Stop attacking Israel and
they will stop attacking you!
---------------
Jusfiq Hadjar gelar Sutan Maradjo Lelo
Allah yang disembah orang Islam tipikal dan yang digambarkan oleh al-Mushaf itu
dungu, buas, kejam, keji, ganas, zalim lagi biadab hanyalah Allah fiktif.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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