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The Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Antonio Guterres, stated yesterday that It is also important to recognize that the Hamas attacks did not occur in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation
and reiterated: grievances against the Palestinian people cannot justify Hamas’ horrific attacks. And these facts cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people either.
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The Israeli government immediately demanded Guterres’ resignation and rejected his calls, as well as those of the Palestinians and many countries, for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, in addition to stating that the war against the enclave coastal is not only its conflict, but the war of the free world
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Guterres called this Tuesday to protect civilians, expressing his concern about clear violations of international humanitarian law
in the Gaza Strip. Before the 15 members of the Security Council, he stated that, at a crucial moment like this
it was vital to be clear that war has rules, starting with the fundamental principle of respecting and protecting civilians.
Without naming Hamas, Guterres stressed that Protecting civilians can never mean using them as human shields
and also demanded the release of the more than two hundred hostages held by Palestinian combatants.
Guterres also criticized Israel without naming it, noting that Protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than a million people to evacuate and go to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine, no fuel, and then continue bombing the south itself.
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Mr. Secretary General, in what world do you live?
responded the Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, after stating that his country Not only do you have the right to defend yourself, we also have the duty to do so.
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Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, described Guterres’ speech as scandalous
. He added: “His statement that ‘the Hamas attacks did not occur in a vacuum’ expressed an understanding of terrorism and murder.”
Erdan demanded Guterres’ resignation in a message published on the X network. Asked about it, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen responded: Of course
I demand resignation.
Aren’t you ashamed?
Cohen asked, considering that he does not represent the most important members of the UN. The United States, Germany, France or Great Britain support Israel
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The ambassador and the foreign minister, who appeared before journalists later along with relatives of hostages, stated that obviously we are going to have to reconsider our relationship with the United Nations
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Before the Security Council, Cohen dismissed calls for proportionality
in his country’s response to Hamas’ surprise attacks on Israel on October 7.
Tell me, what is a proportional response for killing babies, for raping women and burning them, for beheading a child?
Cohen asked. How can you agree to a ceasefire with someone who swore to kill and destroy your very existence?
Cohen described the attack on the 7th as a wake up call for the entire free world
against extremism, and urged the civilized world to stay united and support Israel to defeat Hamas
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He warned that today it is about Israel, and tomorrow Hamas and the attackers They will be at everyone’s doors
starting with the West.
In turn, the Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riyad al-Maliki, demanded a stop to the Israeli attacks. We are here today to stop the killing, to stop the continued massacres that Israel, the occupying power, is perpetrating against the Palestinian civilian population in a deliberate, systematic and savage manner. More than 2 million Palestinians are trying to survive every day, every night
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Al-Maliki warned that more attacks and more killings, weapons and alliances will not make Israel safer: Only peace will do it
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For those actively committed to avoiding an even greater humanitarian catastrophe and regional spillover, it must be clear that this can only be achieved by immediately ending the Israeli war launched against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
he claimed.
Al-Maliki asserted that it is unforgivable
the inaction of the Security Council, which has failed to pass any resolution since 2016 on the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Is your human conscience not wounded by the crimes of the Israeli occupation during 56 years of colonial occupation, or by the terrorist murders, destruction and hunger to which the Palestinian population is subjected today?
he questioned.
Fuente: The Independent, Ap y Sputnik
