Israel’s recent war crimes in the Gaza Strip threaten international peace, Khazaee stated in a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Giadalla Ettalhi, Libyan ambassador to the UN who currently holds the Security Council rotating presidency.
Following is the complete text of Khazaee’s letter:
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful Excellency I have the honor to bring to your attention a matter of high urgency and importance. As you are aware, the latest crimes of the Israeli regime in the Gaza Strip, as a blatant violation of international law, including humanitarian and human rights law, have brought about anguish and grave concern for the whole international community, including the people and government of my own country.
The Israeli inhumane policies and practices have resulted in unspeakable sufferings for the people living in the Gaza Strip, and in brutal killing and wounding of hundreds of people, including children and women, during the past several weeks.
Israeli regime’s continued acts of violence and terror against the Palestinian people has deteriorated the already dire and grave humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip which the UN officials have already described as “extremely fragile”.
As the UN Special Rapportuer for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories has rightly stressed “those responsible for such cowardly action are guilty of serious war crimes and should be prosecuted and punished for their crimes.”
Due to the said inhumane policies and practices against the impoverished Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, particularly in the Gaza Strip, the situation there has been turned into a humanitarian catastrophe, unprecedented in recent history, where the civilian population continues to be collectively punished under an atrocious and crippling siege.
In yet another showcase of its brutality, the Zionist regime has intensified its destruction of civilian infrastructure, and the closure of the Gaza Strip by sealing all border crossings, preventing even the delivery of basic goods such as foodstuff and medical supplies to the innocent Palestinian people and has cut off fuel to the main power plant in the Gaza Strip.
These crimes have led to starving the people, plunging the whole area into darkness, and leaving the whole population in a very serious and dangerous humanitarian situation which is getting worse every hour.
The absence of a meaningful, timely and appropriate action by relevant officials and organs of the United Nations has emboldened the Israeli regime in its atrocities and unlawful actions.
These recent Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip threaten international peace and security and would undoubtedly create more instability and serve to inflame tension and threaten to further destabilize the situation in the region.
Therefore, it as an imperative for the international community to be more effectively involved and unambiguously prevent the said regime from carrying out its inhumane practices against the Palestinians. The Security Council has a responsibility to take appropriate measures to prevent the said regime from continuing its unlawful policies and actions.
Recognizing the need for taking a decisive and meaningful action in the face of this new escalation of conflict in the region, we hope that all members of the Council, particularly those who have obstructed the Council’s actions in this regard in the past, will live up to their responsibilities in properly addressing this grave situation.
The Israeli regime should be put under immediate pressure to end its occupation of the Palestinian and other Arab territories and to relinquish its atrocious practices against the Palestinian people, particularly its most recent brutalities against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
At this time of hardship and need, the Palestinian people are looking to the United Nations, and this august organization, along with member states, should do every thing possible to alleviate their sufferings and to address their basic needs.
I would be grateful if you could have this letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly under agenda items 17,18, 71(c), 33 and 108, and of the Security Council. I am also sending an identical letter to the President of the Security Council.
RMN/PA
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MNA