UN Secretary General Calls on Israel to Comply with International Law
UN spokesman says: "The UN Secretary-General expresses concern about the escalation of violence and Israel's large-scale security operations in the occupied West Bank and calls on the Israeli regime to comply with international law and international humanitarian law."
UN spokesman says: "The UN Secretary-General expresses concern about the escalation of violence and Israel's large-scale security operations in the occupied West Bank and calls on the Israeli regime to comply with international law and international humanitarian law."
As reported by Stephane Dujarric told reporters yesterday: "UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is concerned about the escalation of violence, attacks and large-scale operations by Israeli security forces in the northern West Bank, including the deployment of Israeli tanks in the area for the first time in more than two decades."
Dujarric said Guterres was appalled that children continue to be victims of violence, saying the UN secretary-general was "deeply concerned by the rising number of casualties, including among children, as well as the growing number of Palestinian refugees and the increasing destruction of civilian infrastructure."
The UN spokesman added: "The UN Secretary-General believes that these attacks and the escalation of violence must stop." He also called on Israeli forces to "exercise maximum restraint and use lethal force only when it is the only way to protect lives."
Dujarric said Guterres "strongly rejects statements by the Israeli authorities that they intend to remain in some northern areas of the occupied West Bank for an extended period and refuse to allow Palestinian refugees to return to their homes."
"It calls on Israel to comply with its relevant obligations under international law and international humanitarian law and to take the necessary measures to protect civilians and ensure their safety," he added.
Citing statistics from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Dujarric recalled the killing of a 13-year-old girl by Israel near the Jenin refugee camp.
The UN spokesman also said: "In the town of Qabatiya, in Jenin county, residents have been ordered not to leave their homes while bulldozers demolish roads, causing power outages for about 40 per cent of the population."
