By Merve Aydogan
HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - Several UN Security Council Members, including the US, UK and China, condemned Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, and urged the Israeli government to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
"Actions in the West Bank that could escalate tensions at this fragile moment must stop," US envoy to UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a UN Security Council session on Palestine.
Reiterating statements by the White House, Thomas-Greenfield described the attacks by Israeli settlers as "unacceptable" and called for their cessation.
"Israeli authorities must take measures to protect these communities from harm, including by intervening to stop such violence and by holding all perpetrators to account," she said.
She called on Israel to "release all owed Palestinian Authority tax revenues on time," as it provides "essential services, ensure peace, security, and stability in the West Bank, all of which are key to Israel’s security interests."
"Additionally, we remain concerned about Israel’s West Bank settlement announcements and the legalization of outposts," the US envoy said, adding that the Israeli government's settlement program is "inconsistent with international law" and "detrimental to the prospects of a two-state solution."
Urging the council to "speak one voice" to secure a cease-fire, she said the cease-fire is needed "not soon, but now."
"Because the well-being of all hostages is in jeopardy. Because Palestinians in Gaza are living under hellish conditions and are caught in the crosshairs of war. Because there’s a very real danger of regional escalation," she added.
On the polio outbreak in Gaza, she said the US is working with Israel to "speed up clearances and remove restrictions so that Palestinian civilians can get much-needed food, medicine, shelter, clean water, and other essentials including vaccines."
"We urge Israel to continue working with humanitarian agencies to provide polio vaccinations for Palestinian civilians, particularly children, in Gaza," she said.
- UK condemns Israeli settler attack on Palestinians
James Kariuki, the UK’s envoy to the UN, also condemned the recent settler attack on the Palestinian village of Jit, east of Qalqilya in the northern West Bank.
"Violence in the West Bank is inexcusable. The violence in the Palestinian village of Jit last week was abhorrent. We call on Israel to take action against these extremists," he said.
Also condemning Israel's "continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank," Kariuki said it is "a clear violation of international law."
"We need to see immediate improvements, and there has to be accountability for the appalling settler violence in the West Bank," he added.
Regarding polio, the UK envoy called on Israel to "allow safe and unhindered access aid access into and across Gaza and to put in place an effective deconflict deconfliction mechanism to ensure aid and vaccines can be delivered and administered safely."
He further criticized Israel's new evacuation orders, which he said are "causing chaos in Gaza."
Meanwhile, China's Fu Cong criticized Israel's ongoing military operations and the expansion of settlements, saying: "Blind faith in achieving a total victory in Gaza through military means will only result in more civilian casualties."
He urged Israel to fulfill its international obligations by opening all border crossings and end military actions to prevent further escalation.
- 'Gaza's tragedy may duplicate in the West Bank'
"We urge countries with significant influence to demonstrate a sincere, impartial and responsible attitude in pushing Israel to seize its military operations in Gaza as soon as possible and to stop the killing of civilians," Fu said.
Russian envoy Dmitry Polyanskiy also expressed disappointment over the lack of progress and accused Israel of obstructing humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.
"Israel is now insisting on keeping the idea of a military presence in Gaza, including their control over the crossing with Egypt and the Philadelphia corridor. We do note that such a change as to the parameters of the deal is also something that some countries in the region vehemently object to," he said, and asked the US: "On whose behalf are you acting when you push through a deal that is different from the original one?”
"The Security Council never blessed the deal formulated in this way," he added.
For his part, Algeria’s Amir Bendjama warned of the risk of the Gaza crisis spreading to the occupied West Bank, saying: "Gaza's tragedy may duplicate in the West Bank."
He accused the Israeli government of "crushing any hope for an independent Palestinian state" and expanding settlements in violation of international law.
"Israeli authorities deny the establishment of the Palestinian state. They annex Palestinian lands. They expand settlement, and frequently they storm Al-Aqsa Mosque. They enlarge settler terrorists in the West Bank," he said.
Calling the international community’s response to the crisis in Gaza inadequate, Bendjama said a "full-fledged (polio) vaccination campaign" cannot be carried out "under continuous Israeli bombardment."