United Nations – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon demanded an end to “the senseless cycle of suffering” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Wednesday telling the General Assembly that “the massive deaths and destruction in Gaza have shocked and shamed the world.”
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Ban urged the international community to support the enormous task of rebuilding Gaza, providing humanitarian aid to thousands in need, and caring for the wounded and traumatized.
“We will build again, but this must be the last time to rebuild,” the U.N. chief told the 193-member world body in an impassioned speech. “This must stop now. They must go back to the negotiating table.”
“We must spare no effort to turn the current calm into a durable cease-fire that addresses the underlying issues of the conflict: ending rocket fire from Gaza, weapons smuggling, opening the (Gaza) crossings, lifting the blockade and bringing Gaza back under one Palestinian government that accepts and adheres to the PLO commitments,” he said.
Those commitments include the right of the state of Israel to exist which Hamas, the Palestinian faction that controls Gaza, has refused to recognize.
Ban said the United Nations understands Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas rockets, but “the horror that was unleashed on the people of Gaza” raises serious questions about respect for international law that requires a distinction between civilians and combatants, and proportionality in attacks.
U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay told the assembly that “any attacks in violation of these principles, on civilians, homes, schools and hospitals, must be condemned, and may amount to war crimes.”
She told the assembly by videoconference that the casualty toll in this conflict — nearly 1,900 Palestinians, the vast majority civilians, and 64 Israeli soldiers and three civilians — has superseded Israeli military operations in 2008-2009.
Pillay stressed that there has been no accountability for the conflicts in 2008-2009 and in 2012, but she said the Commission of Inquiry established last month by the U.N. Human Rights Council “will help to establish clarity regarding acts committed by all parties, thus beginning to address accountability issues related to the current hostilities in Gaza, as well as to the West Ban including East Jerusalem.” Its report will be presented in March 2015 and “should be carefully considered and followed with appropriate action,” she said.
Lets just remember one thing; no one cared about us during the holocaust and no one cares about us now, we are on our own.
The UN shames the world
Another advocate for human shields
THIS is ALL israel accomplished with this useless war. 1900 terrorists [that NOOOBODY could have cared less about] dead. 60+ jewish lives r”l. destroyed tunnels, that will be rebuild with the worlds money. and a world of endless condemnation from millions of sonei yisroel, who are relishing the opportunity to lash out at us. bottom line…. there is no military solution. period. there is no political solution. period. the mishna says it all….. “EIN LANU AL MI L’HISHOEIEN, ELA AL AVINU SHEBASHAMAYIM!
Does he have any suggestions how Israel should defend itself against hamas terrorism embedded amidst their civilian population or is he just criticizing because if doesn’t have any ideas, than take a hike.
How about the UN harboring terrorists and rockets?
MR. MOON — SPEAK TO HAMAS AND TELL THEM NOT TO OPERATE FROM CIVILIAN AREAS!!!! THAT IS THE ONLY REASON FOR THE MASSIVE DESTRUCTION—-AND AS PROVEN FROM THEIR “WAR PAMPHLET” THEIR POLICY IS INTENTIONAL OPERATIONS FROM HEAVY CIVILIAN AREAS!!!!! GET THEM TO CHANGE AND YOU WON’T SEE SUCH DESTRUCTION IN FUTURE!!!!! BUT STOP BLAMING INNOCENT VICTIMS FIGHTING IN SELF-DEFENSE!!!! YOU WOULD NOT ACT ANY DIFFERENTLY UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES AND YOU KNOW IT , SO STOP THE DOUBLE STANDARD!!!!!!!
I really feel the UN needs a BIG MIRROR to look at itself and say , why did we (THE UN) let this happen? We really knew all along what Hamas is hiding in our facilities. The IDF has proven that. Shame on the UN & Mr KI-moon
I don’t understand.
Is he referring to Gaza or Syria/Iraq/Afganistan??
Israel must now launch a war of getting rid of the top Hamas roaches. More cost effective without all this bad publicity.
Ban Ki Moon is wonder woman tied into the stealth bomber. He wants future prosperity but he does so to shame the space race. This is a guy who keeps his rabbit in his hat and then asks you if you want to get bit. I think he will be a footnote in history.
When the UN pledges to rebuild, will they be accountable for helping to rebuild the tunnels? If they continue to deal with Hamas that is what will happen.
Remember all the UN outrage at the rockets being shot at civilians? I don’t.
Mr. Moon. What exactly are you doing about the 200,000 and continuing death in the Syrian civil war. What are you doing about ISIS’s murder of thousands in Iraq? What did the U.N. do about Putin’s slaughter of 100,000 Chechens? What did the UN do about the thousands of civilian deaths as a result of the U.S. and British bombing of Iraq and Afghanistan? What did the U.N. do about the 2,000 Serbs killed by Clinton?
Moon must figure that the best defense is a good offense. The UN was caught storing ammunition for terrorists at their facilities. The UN harbored terror tunnels access points (digging occurred in UN facilities). The UN allowed missiles to be shot from their facilities. Finally, UN ambulances filled with children were used to transport terrorists. If Moon doesn’t lash out at Israel, he probably fears that attention would be directed to his immoral use of UN resources in Hammas’s war to kill Jewish men, women, and children.
To #15 - You forgot to mention at least 600,000 civilians killed in the genocide which took place involving the Hutus and Tutsis in Ruwanda, in 1994. The entire world, including other
African countries and so-called Black leaders in the USA, remained silent during that genocide. Also, the Khmer Rouge killed a million Cambodians in 1975. Where was the UN at that time. The “UN” stands for the United Nothings! The UN should be moved out of NYC to Geneva. Who needs their arrogant diplomats here. They flagrantly violate parking laws with impunity.
What an idiot!
Shame on you and whole UN!
Bunch of good for nothings!
You are the biggest waste of money that I have ever seen!
A hypocrite and anticemite, you and bunch of your cronies!
We should bring you to an answer for harboring the terrorists in your facilities and vehicles, and putting human lives in harms way!