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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 18 september 2024

U.N. considers resolution demanding Israel end its occupation of

Palestinian territories

By EDITH M. LEDERER Israel withdraw its forces,
Associated Press immediately halt all new
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — settlement building and
The U.N. General Assembly evacuate all settlers from
is considering a Palestin- the Palestinian territories.
ian resolution Tuesday de- The measure also calls for
manding that Israel end Israel to pay reparations to
its “unlawful presence” in Palestinians for the dam-
Gaza and the occupied age caused by its occu-
West Bank within a year pation. It urges countries
and calling for sanctions to take steps to prevent
and an arms embargo trade or investments that
against the country. maintain Israel’s presence
It will be put to a vote in and implement sanctions,
the 193-member assembly “including about settler vio-
Wednesday as Israel’s war lence.”
against Hamas in Gaza ap- U.S. Ambassador to the
proaches its first anniversary U.N. Linda Thomas Green-
and as violence in the West field told reporters that the
Bank reaches new highs. resolution has “a significant
The war was triggered by number of flaws,” saying it
Hamas attacks in southern goes beyond the ICJ rul-
Israel on Oct. 7. ing and doesn’t recognize
Israel’s ambassador to the An Israeli soldier stands at the entrance of a tunnel where the military says six Israeli hostages both that “Hamas is a ter-
U.N., Danny Danon, urged were recently killed by Hamas militants in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. rorist organization” in con-
member nations to reject Associated Press trol of Gaza and that Israel
the measure, describing it the region forward, it drags In the sweeping condem- yond time Israel’s occupa- has a right to defend itself.
as “an attempt to destroy the region backward, de- nation of Israel’s rule over tion ends and Palestinians “In our view, the resolution
Israel through diplomatic laying the hope for peace the lands it captured dur- return to their ancestral does not bring about tan-
terrorism” and that “ignores and advancement.” ing the 1967 war, the Inter- lands “in dignity, in peace gible benefits across the
the truth, twists the facts The resolution, if adopted national Court of Justice and security.” board for the Palestinian
and replaces reality with by the General Assembly, said Israel had no right to “Those who think the Pal- people,” she said. “I think it
fiction.” would not be legally bind- sovereignty over the territo- estinian people will accept could complicate the situ-
“Instead of a resolution ing but the extent of its sup- ries and was violating inter- a life of servitude, a life of ation on the ground, com-
condemning the rape and port would reflect world national laws against ac- apartheid, are the ones plicate what we’re trying to
massacre committed by opinion. There are no ve- quiring the lands by force. who are not being realis- do to end the conflict, and
Hamas on Oct. 7, we gath- toes in the assembly, unlike Riyad Mansour, the Pales- tic,” he said. “Those who I think it impedes reinvigo-
er here to watch the Pales- in the 15-member Security tinian U.N. ambassador, claim that peace is pos- rating steps toward a two-
tinians’ U.N. circus a circus Council. opened the General As- sible in our region without a state solution.”
where evil is righteous, war It follows a ruling by the top sembly meeting by saying just resolution for the ques- Mansour told reporters this
is peace, murder is justified United Nations court in July Palestinians face an “exis- tion of Palestine are the week that over 60 coun-
and terror is applauded,” that said Israel’s presence tential threat.” He claimed ones who are not being tries have asked to speak
he told the assembly. “This in the Palestinian territories Israel has held them “in realistic.” ahead of Wednesday’s
resolution doesn’t move is unlawful and must end. shackles” and that it’s be- The resolution demands vote.q

China says it tailed a U.S. spy plane through the sensitive Taiwan

Strait

By SIMINA MISTREANU as well as regional peace and stability,”
Associated Press he added.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Chinese warplanes The U.S. Navy didn’t immediately com-
tailed a U.S. military aircraft through the ment on the incident.
sensitive Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, China’s China claims the self-ruled island of Tai-
military said. wan as its own territory and bristles at oth-
The U.S. aircraft was a P-8A Poseidon pa- er countries’ patrolling the body of water
trol and reconnaissance plane, capable separating it from the island.
of conducting long-range anti-submarine On Friday, Germany sailed two warships
warfare, according to a statement by the through the Taiwan Strait in its first transit
People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater of the disputed waters in more than two
Command. decades, drawing criticism from Beijing.
Chinese military forces “organized war- In 2001, a U.S. surveillance plane and a
planes to tail and monitor the U.S. aircraft’s Chinese navy fighter collided mid-air near
flight and handled it in accordance with the Chinese island province of Hainan, re-
the law,” said Li Xi, a senior colonel and sulting in the Chinese pilot’s death. A U.S. P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane flies near Chinese
spokesperson for the command. The U.S. said its plane was in international structures and buildings on the man-made Fiery Cross Reef at
“Theater command troops will remain on airspace and the accident was the result the Spratlys group of islands in the South China Sea are seen on
constant high alert and resolutely safe- of reckless flying by the Chinese side.q March 20, 2022.
guard national sovereignty and security Associated Press