UNITED NATIONS, Aug 19 (KUNA) -- Palestinian Permanent Observer to the UN Riyad Mansour on Friday warned the international community that Israel is threatening the inhabitants of Gaza with more killings and destruction, reiterating the Palestinian Authority's condemnation of killing civilians "whomever they may be." "The threat of even more killings and destruction by the occupying power looms very darkly over Gaza as Israeli officials, particularly the Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) are declaring that this onslaught (on Gaza) is 'only the beginning,'" Mansour said in a letter to the Security Council President Hardeep Singh Puri of India.
Mansour's letter came as the Council was debating a draft statement on the Israeli raids on Gaza yesterday and today, which killed some 20 civilians and injured many more, in retaliation for Thursday's attacks on Israeli buses near Eilat in southern Israel.
Both Hamas, which controls Gaza, and Egypt denied responsibility.
"In light of the dangerous deterioration of the situation and escalation of tensions, the Palestinian leadership calls upon the international community, including the Security Council, to compel Israel to cease its military attacks against the Gaza Strip, and all forms of military reprisals and collective punishment against them," Mansour said in his letter.
He urged the Council not to allow Israel to "act with impunity without repercussions as this can only, and will continue to, embolden the occupying power to commit crimes without fear of punishment." "Clearly, the situation demands immediate redress, which also includes real and genuine efforts towards ensuring accountability for all of the war crimes committed over the years by the occupying power against the Palestinian people, " he added. He reiterated that the Palestinian leadership "continues to condemn the killing of all innocent civilians, whomever they maybe," stressing at the same time the "imperative of the protection of civilians living under foreign occupation in all circumstances".
Mansour warns int''l community of more Israeli killings in Gaza
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