GENEVA, Oct 27 — The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva said Thursday that an immediate ceasefire must be “the first goal for all of us” amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Ibrahim Khraishi’s remarks came during a briefing at the UN office in Geneva with members of the Association of Accredited Correspondents at the UN, Anadolu Agency reported.
Underlining that silence against “Israel’s grave breaches” is viewed as a “green light,” he said the international community must take immediate action.
Those actions, he said, include calling for an immediate ceasefire, ensuring immediate emergency humanitarian access and assistance, restoring basic human necessities in Gaza, condemning Israel’s attacks against Palestinian civilians and civilian infrastructure, and condemning the total siege of Gaza as well as Israel’s actions and remarks “amounting to ethnic cleansing and genocide.”
He also urged states to impose a two-way arms embargo on Israel and end “impunity for Israel’s violations of international law.”
To date, more than 8,400 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 7,028 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis.
Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been running out of food, water, medicine, and fuel, and aid convoys allowed into Gaza have carried only a fraction of what is needed.
Meanwhile, in ATHENS, the European Union (EU) on Thursday night reiterated the importance of ensuring the protection of civilians in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
Following the European Council meeting in Brussels, the bloc expressed “its gravest concern for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza”.
The council “calls for continued, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and aid to reach those in need through all necessary measures including humanitarian corridors and pauses for humanitarian needs”, read a statement posted on X by Ecaterina Casinge, spokesperson of European Council president Charles Michel.
It also recalled the need to avoid regional escalation and to engage with partners in this respect including with the Palestinian authority.
The European Council is ready to contribute to reviving a political process based on the two-state solution, the statement added.
— Bernama
