Erekat Condemns Israeli War Crimes in Gaza

CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR SAEB EREKAT CONDEMNS ISRAELI WAR CRIMES IN GAZA

Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat condemned Israel’s attacks in Gaza, calling them war crimes. He called upon the international community to “end its shameful silence” towards Israeli actions.

“It is bewildering that the international community remains indifferent and passive in the face of Israel’s brutality and daily killing of Palestinian civilians. Children and women are massacred daily and yet the world appears shamefully indifferent. If these actions are not war crimes, what are?” Erekat said in a statement in reaction to the killing of 19 civilians in Beit Hanoun, including 7 children, earlier today.

With the assassination of 5 Palestinians in the West Bank town of Jenin, today’s death toll climbed to 24.

Dr. Erekat condemned the “trigger happy” policy of the Israeli army, noting that over 93 people have been killed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over the course of the past week, with over 300 others wounded. “This is a catastrophe of unprecedented dimensions. People are being killed in cold blood.”

Erekat also accused Israel of undermining Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ efforts to form a national unity government. “These Israeli actions come at a time when Palestinians are going through an extremely delicate period, trying to forge internal unity and to create conditions conducive to the resumption of the political process,” he added. He appealed to the Quartet and the international community to put an end to Israeli violations and disregard of human rights. “Israel must be told that its actions will not go unchecked and unpunished by the world. Palestinian lives are no less precious than Israeli, American or any other lives,” he said.

Dr. Erekat cautioned that the suspension of talks in Gaza to form a national unity government could harm Palestinian interests. “The President is doing all that he do can to end the current political impasse. It is imperative that the dialogue between all the factions under the auspices of the President to form a national unity government continue,” he concluded.