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Palestinian lawmakers attend a parliament session in candlelight during a power cut in Gaza on Tuesday. (Reuters)
Last update - 21:21 22/01/2008
Israeli, Palestinian envoys trade blame at the UN over Gaza
By Shlomo Shamir and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents, and News Agencies
Tags: Gaza Strip, U.S., Israel, UN

Israeli and Palestinian envoys traded accusations of blame in the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday for the recent wave of violence in Gaza, which threatens to torpedo a fragile Middle East peace process.

Israel said it shut all Gaza border crossings last week in response to Palestinian rocket attacks. On Tuesday, Israel resumed fuel shipments to Gaza's main power plant after it shut down on Sunday, plunging much of the coastal territory into darkness.

Riyad Mansour, the permanent Palestinian observer to the United Nations, told a hastily scheduled session of the Security Council the situation was "absolutely untenable."
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"The Israeli policy of brinkmanship is creating a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, heightening fears and tensions, inciting, provoking and fueling the vicious and dreaded cycle of violence," he said.

Israeli envoy Gilad Cohen rejected Mansour's accusation that Israel had provoked the violence and was acting in violation of international law.

"It is the duty of all states to ensure the right to life and safety of its people, especially from vicious acts of violence and terrorism," Cohen told the council. But, he said, Israel would "ensure the humanitarian welfare" of Gaza.

The session was called after the United States thwarted a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel over the closure of the Gaza Strip.

The council instead was to issue a Presidential Statement on the matter.

According to a draft of the statement obtained by Haaretz, the Security Council will express "its deep concern about the deterioration of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory."

"The Security Council also expresses concern in particular about the steep deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, due to the continued closure of all of the Gaza Strip border crossings and the recent decision by the Israeli government to reduce fuel supplies, to cut off electric power, and to prevent the delivery of food and medical supplies to the Gaza Strip," the draft says.

"The Security Council calls upon Israel to abide by its obligations under international law including humanitarian and human rights law and immediately cease all its illegal measures and practices against the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip," continued the draft statement.

At the session Tuesday evening, UN undersecretary-general for political affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, said the violence in Gaza had abated, but he warned council members that the humanitarian situation remained fragile for the territory's 1.5 million people, most of whom rely on foreign aid.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said the rocket attacks against Israel had to stop and urged Israel to do everything in its power to avoid killing civilians. He made it clear that Washington held Hamas responsible for the situation in Gaza.

"If Hamas cared more about the well-being and future of Gazans than it did about its own political agenda it would put an end to the ongoing rocket attacks," he said.

British Ambassador John Sawers said Britain understood Israel's need to defend itself against the attacks but urged Jerusalem to reopen the border crossings.

"It's not acceptable that Israel should respond to these attacks by taking action that is designed to cause suffering to the civilian population of Gaza," Sawers said.

Libyan Ambassador Giadallah Ettalhi said Israel was trying to exterminate the Palestinian population in Gaza and urged the council to act.

"It must adopt urgent measures to protect the civilian population in Gaza, protect them from attempts at genocide by the occupation authority," he said.

Israel was deeply concerned by an effort by Arab states to win UN Security Council condemnation of the sanctions imposed by Jerusalem on the Gaza Strip.

Foreign Ministry Director-General Aaron Abramovich had instructed Israel's delegation at the UN headquarters in New York to oppose any Security Council on Gaza, while "emphasizing the damage and suffering caused by the incessant firing of Qassam rockets."

"A situation in which the Security Council debates the plight of the residents of Gaza, while completely ignoring the situation of Israelis living under the constant threat of Qassam rockets, is totally unacceptable," Abramovich said.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday she had spoken to the Israeli officials and urged them to avert a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

"Nobody wants innocent Gazans to suffer and so we have spoken to the Israelis about the importance of not allowing a humanitarian crisis to unfold there," Rice told reporters traveling with her to Berlin for a meeting on Iran.

Rice said ultimately Hamas was to blame for the situation in Gaza. She said the Israelis were dealing with an "intolerable" situation, with the firing of rockets and the anxiety and terror that came with that.

She said there needed to be creative solutions to the problem and referred to the suggestion to allow the Palestinian Authority to play a greater role at the crossings.

Jake Walles, the U.S. consul general in Jerusalem, said the United States backed the idea, which was floated by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, to help ease local hardship.

"Fayyad came up with this idea. We think it's a good concept," Walles told Reuters. "I know he's talked with the Israelis about it, we've had discussions with them as well. At this point what's needed is a more detailed discussion between Fayyad and the Israelis to try to come up with a concrete plan on how this will work."

Ahmadinejad calls Mubarak for first time over Gaza situation
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad telephoned his Egyptian counterpart for the first time and discussed the situation in the Gaza strip in the latest sign of warming ties between the two long time Middle East rivals, the official Iranian News Agency reported Tuesday.

Ahmadinejad and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak discussed the crisis in Gaza and called for the lifting of the siege on Gaza and the dispatch of fuel and medicine to the Palestinians, the Egyptian state news agency confirmed.

This was the first time Iranian president had ever spoken by phone to his Egyptian counterpart and the call comes as Iran has been pushing for improving ties between the two countries which were severed in 1979.

Tehran cut diplomatic ties after Cairo signed a peace agreement with Israel and provided asylum for the deposed Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Egypt has always maintained that normal ties with Iran would come only after Iran stopped meddling in internal affairs of Arab countries.

Iran's support for Iraqi Shiites, Lebanon's Hezbollah and Palestinian radical Hamas group has further deteriorated relations, resulting in very limited diplomatic contacts between the two countries.

Early this month, however, top level Iranian envoy Ali Larijani came to Cairo and met with Egyptian officials. His trip followed an exchange of visits by the countries' deputy foreign ministers in September and October.

Ahmadinejad has repeatedly offered to restore ties, something Egypt says it is considering, while noting that full diplomatic relations could only be restored if Iran takes down a large mural of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's assassin, Khaled el-Islambouli, and change the name of a street honoring him.


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    U.S. blames Hamas for sparking violence in south Israel, Gaza.
      1.   Does this mean that Israel cannot rely upon American veto? 14:44  |  Natallie Durson 22/01/08
      2.   israel will not only be condemned by the UN Security Council, 14:46  |  lakshmi 22/01/08
      3.   Everybody needs to stop violence, but Israel loves it too much 14:56  |  Garbo Fandoman 22/01/08
      4.   Deserving of Condemnation!!!!!! 14:57  |  T.J. 22/01/08
      5.   ZIONISTS SHOULD BE CONDEMNED 14:58  |  JH 22/01/08
      6.   Basic physics 15:24  |  utagawa 22/01/08
      7.   5 OUT OF 5 JEW-HATERS. GOOD WORK, HAARETZ ! 15:24  |  A Jew 22/01/08
      8.   MOSLEM heavy UN represents Arabs and ignores what Arabs do. 15:25  |  PETER SM 22/01/08
      9.   the occupiers make it 15:29  |  sam, i am 22/01/08
      10.   Why Can`t Israel say the truth???? 15:30  |  Gary 22/01/08
      11.   barak is ludicrous 15:31  |  paulo2005 22/01/08
      12.   Not he UN, but the US 15:48  |  Tiffany Wright 22/01/08
      13.   Let the crisis continue 15:48  |  Proud Israeli 22/01/08
      14.   Security Council 15:49  |  Don 22/01/08
      15.   you are all fools 16:05  |  tony harris 22/01/08
      16.   T.J. should come visit some graves 16:35  |  Joe Sittizen 22/01/08
      17.   # 8 Don YOU GOT IT!!!! 16:38  |  Petra 22/01/08
      18.   NATALIE DURSON *1 16:41  |  jeremy 22/01/08
      19.   This immoral, illegal occupation of Gaza`s civilians must stop! 16:45  |  Richard S 22/01/08
      20.   #1, #2. Speaking of Condemnation. 16:45  |  Ambrose 22/01/08
      21.   The US will yet again silence the UN on Israel, but it shouldn`t. 16:46  |  Michael 22/01/08
      22.   Give them the oil...... 16:51  |  Benny L 22/01/08
      23.   Gaza Concentration Camp 16:52  |  Avi Shapiro 22/01/08
      24.   Photo Caption: "Palestinian Lawmakers attend parliament session" 16:55  |  Eli 22/01/08
      25.   Answer to #5 JH 16:57  |  Dave 22/01/08
      26.   what a load of hamas crock!!! 17:03  |  matilda 22/01/08
      27.   UNSC acting illegally 17:09  |  Gee 22/01/08
      28.   the welfare state of zion saved by US again!! 17:14  |  too funny 22/01/08
      29.   More blanket censorship 17:16  |  Clickfool 22/01/08
      30.   as good as you been to the whole round world! good as you been! 17:19  |  janis 22/01/08
      31.   Antisemites Unite 17:22  |  Prince 22/01/08
      32.   # 21 Michael of the UK....until the UNHRC 17:23  |  Lynn 22/01/08
      33.   Natallie Durson - When are you going to tell the pals that there 17:24  |  viking 22/01/08
      34.   Dear sam I am... 17:26  |  Lynn 22/01/08
      35.   Iran is more aligned with the wishes of the arab street 17:34  |  Observor 22/01/08
      36.   Hamas launches additonal rockets as a thank you for petrol!!! 17:35  |  Avihu 22/01/08
      37.   T J ....having zero sympathy makes you 17:38  |  Lynn 22/01/08
      38.   9. sam, i am? more of this, the palestinians will not be alone 17:40  |  life by the drop 22/01/08
      39.   power outage troubles 17:40  |  apu nasahima 22/01/08
      40.   What should Israel do ??? 17:42  |  Mike 22/01/08
      41.   To #13 Proud Israeli 17:42  |  Jerusalem Jew 22/01/08
      42.   the blind security council 17:53  |  MAROSHKA 22/01/08
      43.   Humanitarian Crisis since 1948 17:56  |  Omar 22/01/08
      44.   Ultimately to blame? 17:56  |  Jan Elshout 22/01/08
      45.   Hello people Libya is in charge of the Security Council this mont 18:00  |  Veragamo 22/01/08
      46.   Eli (24) and all, have a look at the curtain!!!!!! 18:02  |  Karl 22/01/08
      47.   To 13 proud Israeli, let me say this 18:10  |  Veragamo 22/01/08
      48.   Typical 24 Hours in Israel Pt 1 18:10  |  GZLives 22/01/08
      49.   Typical 24 Hours in Israel Pt 2 18:11  |  GZLives 22/01/08
      50.   Typical 24 Hours in Israel Pt 3 18:11  |  GZLives 22/01/08
      51.   Typical 24 Hours in Israel Pt 4 18:12  |  GZLives 22/01/08
      52.   UN should critizes Hamas for Collective Punishment 18:13  |  Dan 22/01/08
      53.   Another diplomatic success for Olmert 18:18  |  Chris Linthwaite 22/01/08
      54.   Karl #46 is RIGHT! LOOK AT CURTAIN! It is a daylight with CANDLES 18:20  |  Vittorio 22/01/08
      55.   Isreali Arabs demonstrating against Israel, this is the reason 18:22  |  Veragamo 22/01/08
      56.   Avihu 18:23  |  Neal 22/01/08
      57.   Hamas cancer spreads its disease to UN 18:24  |  David 22/01/08
      58.   All I am saying... is give peace a chance! 18:24  |  Ari 22/01/08
      59.   Hamas should be condemned for their war crimes 18:26  |  David 22/01/08
      60.   What about the Israeli Suffering 18:26  |  Andrew Michaels 22/01/08
      61.   to # 15 you are all fools 18:28  |  Dik 22/01/08
      62.   1. dear natalie. no, U.S will not condemn isr 18:29  |  bozhidar balkas 22/01/08
      63.   #28, dont you mean Arab welfare? 18:29  |  David 22/01/08
      64.   #36 Avihu 18:31  |  Boycott 22/01/08
      65.   Lynn 32 Are you accusing the US of war crimes!? 18:31  |  Michael 22/01/08
      66.   Photoshow 18:32  |  Chris 22/01/08
      67.   Rice put Egypt incharge of border=rockets to Israel+misery in Gaz