Wow, Hamas must be shaking in its sandals at this outpouring of condemnation. First, the Quartet.
The Quartet expressed its deep concern over recent factional violence in Gaza . It called for all Palestinians to immediately renounce all acts of violence and respect the ceasefire. It called upon the Palestinian Authority government, in cooperation with President Abbas and regional actors, to do everything necessary to restore law and order, including the release of kidnapped BBC journalist Alan Johnston.
The Quartet strongly condemned the continued firing of Qassam rockets into Southern Israel as well as the buildup of arms by Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza . It endorsed PA President Abbas’ call for an immediate end to such violence, and called upon all elements of the PA government and all Palestinian groups to cooperate with President Abbas to that end. The Quartet called for the immediate and unconditional release of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit.
And of course, there’s the usual call for “restraint” from Israel.
The Quartet urged Israel to exercise restraint to ensure that its security operations avoid civilian casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure. It noted that the detention of elected members of the Palestinian government and legislature raises particular concerns and called for them to be released. The Quartet noted its support for the May 30th Security Council Press Statement on the breakdown of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Next, the UN Security Council, which issued a statement—not any kind of real action, mind you, because the Security Council almost never issues any kind of action against the Palestinians—and hoo-boy, is it harsh.
The members of the Security Council expressed their grave concern at the breakdown of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the resulting increase in violence. The members welcomed the efforts of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to establish a ceasefire, and expressed appreciation for the active support of the Government of Egypt in this regard. They urged all parties to join the members of the Council in supporting the call of President Abbas for an immediate end to the violence.
“Deep concern” from the Quartet. “Grave concern” from the UNSC. Wow. If this keeps up, the world community might just manage to frown on all of the kassam launches into Israel.
You know, the ones that have been happening for the past six years.
You know, the ones that have been happening for more than a year since Israel exited Gaza and Hamas took charge.
By the way, I’m kinda wondering: Where is the mention of kassam rocket launches in the UNSC statement? Because I’m seeing a Rorschach test, not an actual, meaningful statement:
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Gillerman said in response to the statement, “This is a clear call for the Palestinians to cease fire.” Gillerman described the rocket attacks as “unrestrained and brutal Hamas fire at Israel, “saying, “Israel responds just as any democracy would in order to defend its citizens. The bloodshed can stop only after a the Palestinians decide to end the Qassam fire at Israel.”
Riad Mansour, the Palestinian observer to the UN, told reporters that he would have liked to see a more decisive and balanced statement, but that this may have been a first step towards a Security Council intervention in the situation in Gaza. Mansour also reiterated the Palestinian call for the UN to send a multinational force to the Strip.
Yeah, whatever. If the world community starts shaking its finger, we might have to actually notice that they’re doing something.
Nothing will change with regard to the UN and Hamas. Their agendas are the same as ever – anti Israel.
They want a UN multinational force there because they want some additional targets. The blue helmets make good aiming points. Besides the UN forces make good forward observers for the launchers.
The Quartet urged Israel to exercise restraint to ensure that its security operations avoid civilian casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure.
I wonder if that is like the restraint that the Lebanese Army has shown this past week?
You know, while they’ve been indiscriminately shelling a pali refugee camp?
Please get this news out of everywhere,this is really making my blood boil that this has not been reported excepts the JPost. Yesterday,a severly disabled Israeli child died from wounds he suffered when a Kassam missle hit the schoolvan he and several other disabled children were riding in. All of the children and the driver were injured,one young boy who was wheelchair bound boy died of his wounds today. Can you even begin to imagine the uproar and outrage that would have been shown by the media if this had been a van full of disabled Arab children and it had been hit by an Israeli missile? And what’s worse is that the incomptent Israeli government refuses to give this child and his poor family status as a terror victim because the incident was not “reported” even thought the boy died from wounds directly as a result of the Kassam hiting the van.
I wonder if that is like the restraint that the Lebanese Army has shown this past week?
Of course not. The Lebanese Army needs to exercise sovereignty. That never seems to apply to Israel, though. Jewish sovereignty? What’s THAT? Oh you mean apartheid and racist Zionist oppression………….
That would be this story.