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UN Urges End of Senseless Escalation of Israel-Palestine. PHOTO/Reuters
GENEVA – Head of Human Rights PBB Volker Turk on Friday (3/2/2023), called for an end to the “senseless escalation” between Israel and Palestine . This call comes amid a spike in deadly violence between the two.
Since the beginning of this year, the conflict has killed 36 Palestinians – including attackers, militants and civilians – as well as six Israeli civilians, including a child, and one Ukrainian.
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“Rather than doubling down on violent and coercive approaches that fail, I urge everyone involved to get out of this senseless escalation that only ends in corpses, ruined lives and utter despair,” Turk said.
“The recent steps taken by the Government of Israel have only fueled further violations and violations of human rights law,” he continued.
“We know from experience that the proliferation of firearms increases the risk of killing and injury to both Israelis and Palestinians,” Turk added.
The UN rights chief referred to measures to ease access to firearms announced by the Israeli government last week following the shooting by a Palestinian in east Jerusalem that killed six Israelis and one Ukrainian.
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The next day, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy shot and wounded two Israelis in the Silwan neighborhood just outside the Old City in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem attacks follow the deadliest Israeli army offensive in the West Bank in nearly 20 years which on January 26 left 10 Palestinians dead in Jenin, including armed militants.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Meirav Eilon Shahar, complained that Turk’s statement lacked the decency to describe last week’s attack as it really was, an act of Palestinian terrorism targeting Jews. “Not even having the courage to condemn the death of innocent worshipers,” he added.
(esn)
