UN stands by condemnation of Israel over the Jenin military raid
The UN's Secretary-General condemned Israel's use of force on the refugee camp in occupied Palestinian territory that killed 12 Palestinians, left over 100 injured, displaced 4,000 and damaged nearly 80 percent of homes.
More than 2 million Palestinians across the occupied West Bank and besieged Gaza are registered by the United Nations as refugees and their displacement goes back to the establishment of Israel in 1948. / Photo: AFP
Israel’s United Nations ambassador has called on Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to retract his condemnation of the country for its excessive use of force in its largest military raid in two decades targeting a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said Friday the secretary-general conveyed his views on Thursday “and he stands by those views.”
Guterres, angered by the impact of the Israeli airstrikes and attack on the Jenin refugee camp, said the operation left over 100 civilians injured, uprooted thousands of residents, damaged schools and hospitals and disrupted water and electricity networks.
He also criticised Israel for preventing the injured from getting medical care and humanitarian workers from reaching everyone in need.
Israel claims its two-day military raid was meant to crack down on Palestinian militants in the occupied Palestinian territory. The raid destroyed the Jenin camp’s narrow roads and alleyways, displaced nearly 4,000 Palestinians and killed 12. One Israeli soldier also was killed.
“I strongly condemn all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror,” Guterres told reporters.
Asked whether this condemnation applied to Israel, he replied: “It applies to all use of excessive force and obviously in this situation, there was an excessive force used by Israeli forces.”
UN Security Council meeting
Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan called the UN chief’s remarks “shameful, far-fetched, and completely detached from reality.” He claimed the Israeli military action in Jenin focused solely on combating Palestinian militants.
Haq, the UN spokesperson, said Guterres “clearly condemns all of the violence that has been affecting the civilians in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, regardless of who is the perpetrator.”
The UN Security Council discussed Israel’s military raid in Jenin behind closed doors Friday at the request of the United Arab Emirates and received a briefing from Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari.
Erdan sent a letter to the 15 council members and Guterres before the council meeting saying that over the past year, 52 Israelis were killed by Palestinians, and many attacks were carried out from Jenin.
Since the start of 2023, Israeli forces have killed over 170 Palestinians, including over 30 children.
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