Israel commits more violations Instead of pushing peace process forward

Palestine’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations Riyad Mansour said Tuesday that “instead of pushing the peace process forward, Israel chooses to do the contrary by increasing its violations of the international laws.” Mansour, in letters sent to UN general secretary, Bank Ki-moon, the president of the Security Council and the president of the general assembly, said that the tension in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), including East Jerusalem, increased due to the Israeli illegal policies and measures, such as military attacks and settlement activities. He said that this is a serious situation which requires an urgent intervention by the international community to end the Israeli violations against the Palestinian people, referring to the Israeli raid on Qalandia, a refugee camp near Ramallah, killing two Palestinians and injuring several others, in August, and the Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, including the strike on a group of fishermen on the shores of Rafah, injuring a number of Palestinians and causing material damages to houses and properties. He said that Israel still practices collective punishment by imposing illegal and inhuman blockage on Palestinians, calling on the international community to pressure Israel to stop its military attacks against civilians in the Gaza Strip, to comply with its obligations under international human law and to lift the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip. The ambassador added that Israel continues its illegal measures in the OPT, especially in East Jerusalem, by expanding settlements, demolishing houses and expelling hundreds of Palestinians, referring to the Israeli government’s  decision to build 900 new housing units in ‘Har Homa’, on Abu Ghneim Mountain, in East Jerusalem. He said that the international community is not taking any serious measures against the Israeli settlement activities and other illegal measures in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which increases the Israeli Intransigence. He referred to the report issued by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which stated the increase in the number of the Palestinian houses demolition in 2011 compared to 2009 and 2010, calling on the international community to condemn such harsh and ‘barbarian practices’ and take the necessary measures to stop the occupation authorities from these acts. He also mentioned the terrifying, violent and provoking actions carried out by the settlers and Israelis against the Palestinian civilians, including setting fire to Palestinian properties and agricultural lands, in addition to cutting down olive and almond trees.