Politics

UN Secretary General Condemns Israel Over Jenin Raid

Israel kills dozens of palestinians

Volunteers bring severely wounded local to safety
(Source: Photograph by Associated Press )
USPA NEWS - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the Israeli military’s excessive use of force in its largest operation in two decades against the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

More than 100 civilians were injured, thousands were forced to flee their homes, schools and hospitals were damaged, and water and electricity networks were disrupted during the Israeli military operation, Guterres said on Thursday.

Guterres also said Israeli forces had prevented the injured from receiving medical care and stopped humanitarian workers from reaching those in need.

The UN chief reminded Israel that “as the occupying power, it has a responsibility to ensure that the civilian population is protected against all acts of violence”, and that “I understand Israel’s legitimate concerns with its security, but escalation is not the answer.”

“Israel’s air strikes and ground operations in a crowded refugee camp were the worst violence in the West Bank in many years, with a significant impact on civilians,” Guterres said.

The secretary-general’s condemnation followed a statement by three independent human rights experts on Wednesday who said the Israeli air attacks and
Grieving Families mourn their losses
Source: AP
Local Journalists Covering the attack
Source: Getty Images
Palestinian Youth Fight Back
Source: CNN
Later in the day Israel’s United Nations ambassador called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to retract his condemnation of Israeli forces for using excessive force and harming civilians during their devastating raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq responded on Friday saying that Guterres had conveyed his views on Israel’s operation in the Jenin refugee camp “and he stands by those views”.

Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan called the UN chief’s criticism of the Israeli military assault “shameful, far-fetched and completely detached from reality”.

The UN Security Council discussed Israel’s Jenin operation behind closed doors on Friday at the request of the United Arab Emirates and received a briefing from UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari.

Erdan sent a letter to the 15 council members and Guterres before the council meeting in which he said the “international community and the Security Council must unconditionally condemn the latest Palestinian terror attacks and hold Palestinian leadership accountable”.

The Security Council took no action on Friday.
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