Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[Undercooked Falafel]

Israeli forces have killed five Palestinians in Rafah as Israel threatens to continue demolitions despite a sharp rebuke from the UN Security Council.

Reacting to Wednesday’s Security Council resolution that criticised it for the death and destruction in Gaza, Israel vowed to continue to do whatever it considers appropriate.

Passed overwhelmingly after a US abstention, the UN Security Council resolution had earlier condemned the killing of Palestinian civilians in the southern Gaza Strip refugee camp of Rafah.

It also called on Israel to halt house demolitions, which are in violation of international humanitarian law.

“Israel cannot continue to flout its authority and norms of international law with impunity,” said Abd Allah Baali, Algeria’s UN ambassador.

“After today’s butchery, Israel would be well counselled to heed the voice of reason,” Baali told the council after the vote.

US abstains

The resolution marked a significant departure for US foreign policy, which usually vetoed draft resolutions critical of long-time ally Israel.

“While we believe that Israel has the right to act to defend itself and its citizens, we do not see that its operation in Gaza in the last few days serve the purposes of peace and security,” US deputy ambassador to the UN James Cunningham said.
Deputy US Ambassador to the
UN James Cunningham abstains

However, he said the United States could not back the resolution, because it did not take sufficient account of the “context of the military operation, which Israel says is aimed at stopping anti-Israeli attacks.”