Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 14 June 2018

UN Assembly blames Israel for Gaza violence, but not Hamas

By EDITH M. LEDERER December after the United
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — States vetoed a Security
The U.N. General Assembly Council resolution calling
approved a Palestinian- on President Donald Trump
backed resolution Wednes- to renounce his recogni-
day blaming Israel for vio- tion of Israel as Jerusalem's
lence in Gaza after narrow- capital.
ly rejecting a U.S. demand The General Assembly
to add a condemnation of largely ignored Trump's
attacks on Israel by Gaza's threats at the time to cut
Hamas rulers. off aid to any country that
The votes reflected wide went against the United
concern in the 193-mem- States and voted 128-9 to
ber world body that the denounce the U.S. presi-
resolution sponsored by dent's recognition of Jeru-
Arab and Islamic nations salem as Israel's capital and
was one-sided and failed declare it "null and void."
to even mention Hamas Wednesday's assembly
which has fired over 100 meeting reflected the
rockets at Israel — an issue deep divisions that persist
the United States attempt- over the decades-old Is-
ed to rectify in its amend- raeli-Palestinian conflict.
ment. The marchers in Gaza have
Since near-weekly mass pressed demands for a
protests began March 30 "right of return" for descen-
along the Israel-Gaze bor- dants of Palestinian refu-
der, more than 120 Pales- gees to ancestral homes
tinians have been killed in what is now Israel. More
and over 3,800 wounded than 700,000 Palestinians
by Israeli army fire. The were expelled or fled in
overwhelming majority of the 1948 Mideast war over
the dead and wounded Palestinians attend a protest to demand lifting the sanctions on Gaza Strip, in the West Bank city of Israel's creation. Two-thirds
have been unarmed, ac- Ramallah, Tuesday, June 12, 2018. of Gaza's 2 million residents
cording to Gaza health Associated Press are descendants of refu-
officials. Israel says Hamas gees.
uses the protests as cover ment to be put to a vote. backed resolution, approv- against the border block- The resolution adopted
for attacks on the border The U.S. motion was ap- ing it 120-8 with 45 absten- ade imposed by Israel and Wednesday calls for "imme-
fence. proved on 62-58 vote, with tions. Egypt in 2007 after Hamas diate steps towards ending
Algerian Ambassador Sabri 42 abstentions. But General The resolution's text de- overran the territory. The the closure and the restric-
Boukadoum, representing Assembly President Miro- plores "any excessive use U.S. vetoed that resolution tions imposed by Israel on
Arab nations, first sought slav Lajcak declared that of force" by Israeli forces, June 1, with Haley calling it movement and access into
to block a vote on the under an assembly rule, particularly in Gaza, and "grossly one-sided" for criti- and out of the Gaza Strip."
U.S. amendment, saying it a two-thirds majority was demands that Israel "refrain cizing the use of force by It also "deplores the firing
wasn't relevant to the reso- needed so the amend- from such actions." It also Israel while not mentioning of rockets from the Gaza
lution. He said it also under- ment failed. seeks recommendations Hamas. Strip against Israeli civilian
mined reconciliation efforts U.S. Ambassador Nikki Hal- from U.N. Secretary-Gen- Arab and Islamic nations areas," but doesn't say who
between rival Palestinian ey appealed, citing an- eral Antonio Gutterese on then decided to seek a is doing the firing.
factions Hamas and Fatah other rule that says only a ensuring protection for Pal- vote on virtually the identi- While Security Council reso-
as well as the "remote pros- majority vote was required. estinian civilians, including cal resolution at Wednes- lutions are legally binding,
pects" of reviving peace After a short break, Lajcak an "international protection day's emergency meeting General Assembly reso-
negotiations with Israel. then put the U.S. appeal mechanism." of the 193-member Gen- lutions are not, although
His motion to take "no ac- to a vote. The U.S. narrowly The Palestinians had initially eral Assembly, where there assembly spokesman
tion" on the amendment lost that vote 66-73 with 26 sought a Security Council are no vetoes. Brendan Varma stressed
was defeated by a vote of abstentions. resolution after Israel's mili- The Palestinians and their Wednesday that they do
59-78 with 26 abstentions, Finally, the assembly voted tary killed civilians during supporters followed the reflect "political will" as well
allowing the U.S. amend- on the original Palestinian- the mass protests in Gaza same route they took in as international opinion.q