Abbas calls for emergency UNSC session on Gaza strikes

Palestinian Authority president instructs representative in UN to call urgent Security Council session in effort to halt IDF strikes.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, GIL STERN STERN SHEFLER
Mahmoud Abbas 311 (photo credit: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg)
Mahmoud Abbas 311
(photo credit: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called for an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council in an effort to halt Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said in a statement Saturday morning Palestinian media reported.
According to the statement, Abbas instructed Palestinian representative at the United Nations Riyad Mansour to call for an urgent session of the Security Council to discuss the airstrikes on Gaza.
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On Friday, Lebanon threatened to use its veto in the Security Council, thwarting the passage of a resolution condemning the terror attacks in southern Israel which left eight Israelis dead.
Beirut, currently one of the rotating non-permanent members of the Council, demanded that the statement drafted by the Israeli delegation be amended to include criticism of Israel’s retaliatory air strikes on Gaza that killed seven Palestinians including the leader of a militant group.
Rather than change the wording of the statement Israel decided not to bring it for a vote which would need to the approval of all 15 members of the council including Lebanon to become a resolution.