Palestinians condemn UNSC silence on IDF offensive

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The Palestinians denounced the Security Council's silence on Israel's offensive in Gaza, urging the United Nations' most powerful body to condemn the killing of 18 family members and demand a withdrawal of IDF troops from the coastal strip. Israel again expressed regret for the deaths, but blamed the tragedy on Palestinian violence that has forced Israel to defend itself. At a day-long open meeting of the Security Council on Thursday, speaker after speaker denounced the killings and criticized what they described as Israel's excessive use of force in its current offensives in Gaza. Qatar introduced an Arab-backed draft resolution demanding the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and condemns Israeli attacks, particularly Wednesday's killings in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun. It also calls for a mutual cease-fire and the deployment of a UN observer force on the Israeli-Gaza border.