The UN Security Council met on Monday afternoon to urgently discuss the situation in Gaza, with several members raising concerns despite the truce between Islamic Jihad and Israel after three days of deadly conflict.
Training by video at the opening of the talks, the UN envoy for the Middle East Tor Wennesland warned against a resumption of hostilities which would have “devastating” consequences: “the ceasefire is fragile,” he insisted.
“We are very concerned about events that could lead to the resumption of a full-fledged military confrontation and the aggravation of an already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.”declared for his part the Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia.
The truce entered into force at 11:30 p.m. local time on Sunday and was negotiated by Egypt, a historic intermediary between Israel and the Palestinian armed groups, but the two belligerents have nevertheless indicated that they reserve the right to respond in the event of violation by the other. part.
The army presented its operation launched on Friday as a “preemptive attack” against Islamic Jihad, in which its main military leaders in Gaza, Tayssir Al-Jabari and Khaled Mansour, were killed.
Between the start of this Israeli operation and Sunday evening, 46 victims including 16 children died and 360 were injured, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. The Israeli authorities claimed that some of the Palestinians killed may have perished due to failed rocket fire by Islamic Jihad towards Israel, which fell in the Palestinian enclave.
“The assessment of the incidents by the UN is in progress”noted Tor Wennesland, indicating that” around 20 % “ 1,100 rockets fired by Palestinian armed groups may have landed in the Gaza Strip.
Ambassador-designate to the UN Gilad Erdan judged him “whole” the responsibility of Islamic Jihad, which he accused of using the people of Gaza as ” human shield “.
“If the Council really wants to improve the situation in Gaza, there must be only one result, to condemn the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and to hold the terrorists fully responsible for the killings of innocent Palestinians”he told members of the Security Council.
“This Council should be able to unite and unreservedly disavow Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorism, and its dangerous actions that put civilian lives at risk on both sides,” responded US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, supporting “Israel’s right to defend its people”.
According to several diplomatic sources, however, no statement by the Security Council is expected following the closed-door consultations of the Security Council which began after this public debate.
“Are you ready to say + enough is enough? », nevertheless launched the Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour, denouncing a “unwarranted aggression” from Israel. “How many more children do we have to bury before someone says ‘enough is enough’?” “.
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