Palestinians seek UN inquiry into Israel assault on Gaza
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GENEVA: Palestinians asked the United Nations on Tuesday to investigate into “all violations” of human rights and humanitarian law that they say have been committed by Israel during its military offensive in Gaza.
The draft resolution is to be debated by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday at an emergency session also requested by Egypt and Pakistan.
The Palestinian observer mission to the United Nations seeks to have the 47-member forum “urgently dispatch an independent, international commission of inquiry ... to investigate all violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip, in the context of the military operations conducted since 13 June 2014 ...”
Israel began air strikes against the Gaza Strip on July 8 and launched a ground offensive on Thursday to halt rocket fire out of the territory.
Israeli aircraft hit more than 70 targets in Gaza
Israel pounded targets across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, saying no ceasefire was near as top US and United Nations diplomats pursued talks on halting the fighting.
Palestinian civilians in densely-populated Gaza have no place to hide from Israel's military offensive and children are paying the heaviest price, UN agencies said.
Some 600 Palestinians, many of them civilians, and 29 Israelis, 27 of them soldiers, have died so far in the conflict, now in its third week.
Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has previously said that Israeli strikes on Gaza may break international laws banning the targeting of civilians. She is to address Wednesday's session which starts at 1000/0800 GMT.
Israel, which accuses the Council of bias, boycotted the Geneva forum for 20 months, resuming cooperation in October.
The United States also accuses the Council of bias and says that Israel should not be singled out at regular sessions.
Twenty-one member countries and 16 observer states – across the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Latin America – formally endorsed the call for an emergency session, but neither the United States nor any European country joined them.
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Comments (25) Closed
Jul 23, 2014 01:07am
Sorry to say this but the UN is absolutely useless especially when it comes to Israel. How many resolutions have come from the UN in regards to Israel, 100, 200? The only person to defend Palestine at least verbally in the recent past have been Iran and Turkey. Remember the aid flotilla from Turkey that Israel invaded in international waters? Scott free
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Jul 23, 2014 01:09am
Israel deserves to be criticized by everyone not just muslims. But how hypocrite is the muslim world! So far, in all the Israel-Palestine conflicts in the last 10 yrs, about 1500 Palestinians & 300 Israelis have been killed. On the other hand, Syria's Muslim dictator Assad has killed more than 170,000 innocent civilians in his country & yet we have not heard a peep from Pakistanis or other muslim countries. So the bottom line is, its OK for muslims to get killed as long as a muslim dictator or ruler is doing it but God forbid if a non-muslim will do it, the muslim world will erupt in protest!
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Jul 23, 2014 01:10am
What would happen if Israel is found guilty of violations? Israel won
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Jul 23, 2014 01:27am
No body is going to do a thing to Israel, but at least UN should issue a report, just for the record.
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Jul 23, 2014 01:27am
I highly doubt if anything will come out of it! As long as the U.S. stays as super power, Israel can have an "open season" on Palestinians and no one will do anything about it! Yes, they will condemn the air strikes, they will urge Israel to be cautious about killing civilians, but this is how far they will go. At the end of the day, we will hear thousands of Palestinians have been killed, Israel military have withdrawn and Palestinians have gone back to burying their dead and reconstructing their shattered buildings. Hamas will go back to building tunnels and the whole cycle will repeat itself in a few years from now. Palestinians will continue to be suppressed, as their voice will never be heard. Uncle Sam will absolutely never allow that!
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Jul 23, 2014 01:28am
The attitude of the "bosses" of global power (both economic and military) continue to thwart the genuine efforts of the rest of the world to bring an end to the conflict and crises afflicting the Palestinians for decades now. THIS IS BIAS! Let there be a threadbare discussion on the burning issues and a long-term resolution duly addressing the needs and aspirations of the Palestinians in particular as well as peaceful protocol among the players in this long-standing case.
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Jul 23, 2014 01:41am
I think Hamas is to be blamed for this massacre - it is simple logic that you cannot keep on sending 1800 rockets into Israel and don't expect a response from their side. Israel is not going to use kid gloves and will deal decisively - what I find abhorant is that though people are quick to have marches against Israel ..why are there no marches against Hamas who have used women and kids as their shield in attacking Israel territory. Good for israel, they should once and for all wipe out all the Hamas militants, clear the area and take some of their land .. so it is a lesson to those who support terrorist that you will have to pay if you support terrorism. Why has Israel not attacked west bank ...because there has been no attacks from that territory which is not ruled by Hamas. In fact all Muslim communities should be with Israel and should isolate Hamas.
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Jul 23, 2014 02:03am
in english language the prefix of 'un', literally defangs any verb or work. in reality, UN is just like the prefix 'un'.
it has miserably failed to bring any comfort to world except for the big stakeholders.
in africa, UN only serves the areas where precious minerals r being extracted otherwise its a big white elephant.
i had been in DR Congo and m a witness to the UN-doings of UN
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Jul 23, 2014 02:23am
There are close to 2 billion muslims in the world but they don't have any veto power in the UN !!!!!!!!!!!
Muslims must (have) demand that first before they have anything to do with this useless org., or sit and let 'them' run their lives as they please.
@B.Sabbath: Syria's Assad has not killed 170K according to your limited comprehension, there are foreign fighters with tons of help in his country that he's trying to flush out. Sad, but you did'nt mention those murderers.
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Jul 23, 2014 03:21am
Good Job NS, for taking the matter into Geneva.
I have not heard of any condemnation of Israel from IK , PTI chief. Oh, I see, he is busy organizing long march against duly elected government of NS.
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Jul 23, 2014 03:29am
@Black Sabbath No killing of innocent people should be subscribed but context should be clear. Israel is an occupied state; not legitimate. It is killing innocent civilians mostly women and children in hundreds against a few Israelis casualties and rocket attacks of a group fighting for their independence / genuine rights. Secondly, one should not quote a wrong to justify another wrong. Lastly the champions of so called human rights of civilised world should not be guided by their interests but values. Historians would judge this behaviour objectively.
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Jul 23, 2014 03:31am
Palestinians should continue to give blood and score moral victory over the occupying Zionist regime, the illegitimate child of Britain and the US. Only through struggle and blood the independence will be achieved. Inshallah
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Jul 23, 2014 03:54am
"A Muslim should never leave another Muslim helpless in the time of need." - Prophet Muhammad (SAW)....And not only just a Muslim but he (pbuh) taught us that a human should never leave a another human helpless in their time of need. What is happening in Palestine is not just a case for Muslims or Palestinians or Arabs, it is a case for humanity.
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Jul 23, 2014 04:02am
Criminal Isreal and its US and European allies should listen. Human conscious is speaking.
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Jul 23, 2014 05:22am
Hamas used nearly all of the foreign aid to build tunnels and buy rockets. They play with the lives of Palestinian families by using them as shields, in spite of Israeli warnings.
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Jul 23, 2014 05:58am
UN is just a farce. It is a body for the power hungry nations to define the destiny of the weak.
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Jul 23, 2014 05:58am
UN is just a farce. It is a body for the power hungry nations to define the destiny of the weak.
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Jul 23, 2014 07:19am
The hapless and helpless Palestinians are 100 percent right to seek United Nation's inquiry into the recent on-going naked Israeli massacre and genocide in Gaza. As much as the independent, civilized, neutral and third party global populace would like to see it happen, the U.S. controlled and Jewish financed media of today's world will effect all hurdles to deny them their basic right of seeking true justice, peace and pursuit of happiness. What a grave tragedy?
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Jul 23, 2014 07:43am
UN body is a stooge will do nothing and has no power, remote controlled by United States. Palestinians have to elect right representatives, who will serve the citizens rather confronting Israel.
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Jul 23, 2014 07:59am
@Lucky Star Read more news my friend. You are not very updated.
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Jul 23, 2014 08:06am
Using children with red colour smeared dolls!!! Who in their right mind will get their child to participate in such demonstrations ? And where were these do gooders when Syrian children were gased to death by Asad ? Where were these do gooders where ISIS slaughtered 1500 men from Iraqi forces? 1500 women became widows in one single day, 1500 mothers lost their sons, 1500 households were left without a bread winner ! it is easy to jump on the band wagon and blame Israel.. What is holding everyone back from turning in Hammas ? You first attack others, and when they retaliate it becomes violence ! Bigoted, brazen views on humanity! Go Israel...wipe out these monsters that hide behind women and children! Shame on the Muslim world to encourage Hammas....
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Jul 23, 2014 09:02am
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/07/jihad-israel-201472272438651885.html
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Jul 23, 2014 11:14am
Its really sad to see the state of Muslim countries, ruled by selfish and corrupt rulers.
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Jul 23, 2014 11:47am
War crimes have definitely been committed. There is over whelming proof all over the place. Alas, israel will go scott-free yet again as the UN itself is a puppet.
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Jul 23, 2014 01:27pm
When Islamic terrorists kill non-Muslim innocents , then it 's not human rights violation . But this action of Israel is against Human right violation . People of Palestain should force Hamas out of country and elect right representative .
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