UN: Ceasefire badly needed as no place in Gaza remains safe

Irna – The Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations (Un), in a briefing to the Security Council, has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, arguing that there is not safe place left for the Palestinians there as civilians are still being ordered to evacuate areas in the blockaded territory.

According to IRNA’s reporter, Rosemary Di Carlo told the Council in a meeting on Tuesday local time that was convened at the request of Algeria to discuss Gaza and the Israeli bombing of al-Tabin School there that left scores of Palestinians dead and many others, including women and children injured.

Di Carlo said the UN Secretary-General has already condemned the continued civilian casualties in Gaza as a result of another attack on a school where hundreds of displaced Palestinian families had taken refuge. “No place in Gaza is safe and yet civilians are still being ordered to travel to the ever-shrinking areas,” she said, adding that 10 months have passed since the beginning of the war and the risk of escalation of regional tension is more tangible than ever.

This senior UN official reported the exchange of fire across the Blue Line almost on a daily basis and said she wanted pay attention to the worsening situation and ongoing violence in the occupied West Bank, including East al-Quds. “The parties must end all escalation if the move toward a bigger disaster is to be halted”.

I reiterate the UN Secretary General’s request to everyone to make serious efforts to reduce regional tension for the benefit of long-term peace and stability, she added while hailing the efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States to force both sides to conclude an agreement that includes a ceasefire, release of hostages and humanitarian aid.

Algeria: UNSC resolution on Gaza ceasefire must be implemented

In his address to the 15-member Security Council, Algeria’s ambassador and representative to the United Nations, Ammar bin Jame condemned the Israeli attack on the Tabin school and called for the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution on the Gaza ceasefire.

According to IRNA, Ammar who had requested for the meeting reported the UN body about Israel’s constant refusal to abide by and implement the resolution enacted earlier that called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The Algerian diplomat expressed his country’s full support for the mediation efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, saying the occupying Israeli regime has already defied the Security Council resolution. He called on the UNSC to deal with the root cause of the Palestinian issue, which is the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands.

Ammar also highlighted financial and military aid to the Zionist regime to keep going with its genocidal campaign in Gaza. “The terrible massacre at Gaza’s al-Tabin School in Haraat al-Daraj and the previous massacres would not have been happened without generous financial and military aid to the Israeli aggressors.”

The Algerian ambassador accused the Israeli regime of deliberately targeting the school and the world woke up to another terrible bloodshed in Gaza. “The Security Council must respond to the hopes of the Palestinians and their efforts to realize justice and their right to exist”.

Palestine UN envoy: Prevent genocide, punish criminals

The Palestinian representative to the United Nations said on Tuesday at the Security Council meeting about the situation in Gaza and called on member states to prevent the genocide of Palestinians, punish the perpetrators of crimes.

Riyad Mansour, while reacting to the Gaza school bombing said the Security Council should have taken action months ago to stop the military aggression against Gaza.

Nothing can justify Israel’s actions and this regime does not care about the condemnations and resolutions of the Security Council, he underlined, saying “jutifying famine and massacre against Palestinians is a common ideology of the Israeli occupation”.

Mansour also said: “If the Security Council decides to implement its decisions, no one should be above the law and punishments should be applied to criminals to prevent genocide.”

UK: No safe place left for Palestinians in Gaza

The Deputy Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations echoed the call of the Under-Secretary-General during the meeting and the highlighted the lack of safe place for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to take refuge.

James Kariuki was reacting to the bombing of the Tabin school by Israel as well as evacuation orders for Palestinians that include 86 percent of the population of the strip.

He said that Britain was horrified by Israel’s military attack on the school where Palestinian civilians were sheltering. “Unfortunately, that was not the only Israeli attack on schools and shelters that we have seen. In July alone, 17 such attacks took place”.

This British diplomat stated that the agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza is on the table and asked Israel to condemn its finance minister’s rhetoric about starving the Palestinians in Gaza.

France condemns Gaza school attack

The representative of France at the United Nations told in this meeting of the Security Council that Paris strongly condemned the Israeli attack on al-Tabin school in Gaza.

This French diplomat and expressed support for the mediation efforts of the US, Egypt and Qatar for a ceasefire in Gaza.

US merely expresses concern over Israeli bombing school

Linda Thomas Greenfield, the US ambassador and representative to the United Nations, expressed her concern over the bombing of Tabin school in Gaza by Israel and claimed that Washington has shared its concerns with Israel. Greenfield avoided to condemn the August 10 attack by Israeli military in a compound in Gaza that included a school and a mosque that sheltered desperate and displaced people, including women and children.

“We have raised our concerns with Israel”, she said mentioned the Israeli narrative that their target of attack was senior Hamas and Palestinian Jihad officials. “Israel has the right to pursue Hamas and respond to its threats. But how you do it is important. We have repeatedly said that Israel must take steps to minimize harm to civilians”.

The Israeli army bombarded Palestinian worshipers during morning prayers at al-Tabin school in al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City on Saturday morning (August 10), during which more than 120 Palestinians were martyred and many were injured.

The attack sparked international condemnations but Israel key backer the US and some of its European allies remained silent on horrific crime.