Hamas: UNSC should have rather called for trial of Israeli war criminals

[ 17/12/2008 - 09:21 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Hamas on Tuesday said that the UN Security Council should have passed resolutions binding Israel to end the siege on the Gaza Strip that is witnessing worsening tragedies by the day.

Fawzi Barhoum, the Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said commenting on the UNSC resolution supporting the Palestinian-Israeli peace process that the resolution was supporting an illusionary process and covering up the Israeli occupation's aggression and crimes against the Palestinians.

He said that the UNSC should have rather demanded trial of the "Zionist war criminals" for what they had done for the Palestinians, and added that "crimes against humanity" being committed by occupation against Gaza as affirmed by the UN human rights rapporteur is the biggest proof.

The spokesman asked the UNSC to work on ending the suffering of the Gaza Strip and to adopt practical steps to pressure the Israeli occupation authority to end its crimes and terrorism, to dismantle the racist, separation wall and to end colonialism.

The UNSC should have adopted resolutions supporting the Palestinian people's rights especially when the IOA violates all international doctrines and laws in dealing with the Palestinian people without finding anyone to force it to respect and apply those laws, Barhoum concluded.

El-Khodary-: “Resolution 1850, Protection for the Occupation, Settlements and Annexing Jerusalem”

Wednesday December 17, 2008 00:26 by Saed Bannoura - MEMC News

Independent Palestinian Legislator, and head of the Popular Committee Against the Siege (PCAS), Jamal El-Khodary, stated on Tuesday that the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1850 is unbalanced and favors Israeli interests and illegal measures of the occupation.

ElKhodary- added that this resolution provides protection for the illegal Israeli measures against the Palestinian people, as it supports unbalanced bilateral Palestinian-Israeli talks. He also said that this resolution gives Israel another free hand to annex more Palestinian lands, increase the Gaza siege, and allow Israel to annex the West Bank and Jerusalem.

The independent legislator said that one of the most dangerous issues in this resolution is that it “puts the victim and the oppressor in equal positions,” and added that this resolution denies the legitimate rights of Palestinians, especially the rights of independence, self determination, and the right to establish a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.   

ElKhodary- also said that the resolution did not place any timeframe, did not call for dismantling the illegal Israeli settlements, did not even hint the release of political detainees, and ignored the internationally guaranteed right of return for Palestinian refugees.  

Furthermore, El-Khodary added that the resolution totally ignored the Israeli siege on Gaza, including the collective punishment practiced by Israel on the 1.5 million citizens of Gaza, and also ignored the apartheid Wall.  

The resolutions were adopted on Tuesday, drafted by the United States and Russia. 14 countries voted for the resolution, while the fifteenth country, Libya, the only Arab country in the council, abstained.