Israel is accused on all fronts. On the one hand, after the strike which killed seven employees of the humanitarian NGO World Central Kitchen in the Gaza Strip, Monday April 1. But also, on the same date, an attack targeting the building adjoining the Iranian embassy in Syria and attributed to the Jewish state. While Tehran has vowed to retaliate, at the UN, Russia accuses Israel of wanting to “fuel the conflict”.
Information to remember
⇒ Death of humanitarians: the Israeli army recognizes a “serious error”
⇒ Car ramming attack leaves four injured in Israel
⇒ Moscow accuses Israel of wanting to “fuel the conflict” after strikes in Syria
Humanitarians killed in Gaza: Israeli army recognizes a “serious error”
This Wednesday, April 3, the Israeli army recognized a “serious error” which “should not have happened”, after the strike which killed seven collaborators of the humanitarian NGO World Central Kitchen, in the Gaza Strip. The chief of the Israeli general staff, Herzi Halevi, spoke of a “bad identification” in “very complex conditions”.
The day before, the president of the Hebrew state, Isaac Herzog, had presented his “sincere apologies” and expressed his “deep sadness” for this strike, which the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, described as “unintentional ” and “tragic”.
This tragedy caused international consternation. US President Joe Biden said he was “outraged”, believing that Israel does not “enough” protect volunteers coming to the aid of the “starving” Palestinian population. “Even more tragic, this is not an isolated event,” he lamented in a press release.
Gaza: Israel’s attack and reaction put solidarity with this country “to the test”, according to Warsaw
The Polish Prime Minister said this Wednesday that the attack which killed seven humanitarian workers in Gaza, including a Pole, as well as Israel’s reaction to this strike, were putting solidarity with this country “to the test”. “Today, you are putting this solidarity to the test. The tragic attack on volunteers and your reaction arouse understandable anger,” Donald Tusk said on the social network Israeli Ambassador to Warsaw Yacov Livne. The head of government stressed that “the vast majority of Poles showed total solidarity with Israel after the Hamas attack”, which was carried out on October 7, 2023.
Israel: vehicular attack leaves four injured
Four Israeli police officers were injured in a vehicular attack at a checkpoint in central Israel, police reported on Wednesday, citing the death of the assailant. The latter, aged 26, collided with the police at a roadblock erected to control motorists in Kochav Yaïr, a locality adjacent to the occupied West Bank, northeast of Tel Aviv.
The attacker “then continued his way towards the Eliyahu crossing point [près de la ville palestinienne de Qalqiliya]where he tried to stab security guards, who neutralized him,” added the police.
UN observers injured in Lebanon: Israeli army blames Hezbollah
The Israeli army said on Wednesday that the explosion which injured three UN observers and their Lebanese translator on Saturday in southern Lebanon, bordering Israel, was linked to an attack previously placed in the area by Hezbollah. “According to information available to the army, the explosion of March 30 (…) occurred after a UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force) patrol passed over a charge previously placed in the area by Hezbollah” Lebanese, indicates on his account X Avichay Adraee, spokesperson for the army for the Arabic-speaking public. The Israeli army said after the explosion that it had not carried out strikes on the region.
Strikes in Syria: Russia accuses Israel of wanting to “fuel the conflict”
At the request of Iran and Russia, the Security Council met the day after the raid, attributed to Israel, which targeted the building adjoining the Iranian embassy, leaving at least 13 dead, including seven Iranian military. These strikes are “intended to fuel the conflict” in the region, the Russian ambassador to the UN accused this Tuesday before the Security Council, who denounces “a flagrant violation” of Syria’s territorial sovereignty.
“Such an act, a deliberate act, is obvious: responding to international pressure by provoking the escalation of the conflict and the continuation of the deaths of Palestinians, for political calculations,” denounced the Algerian ambassador Amar Bendjama, also accusing Israel of wanting to “drag the entire region into the conflict”.
While Iran has vowed to retaliate, several member states have expressed concern about an escalation of the conflict. “The evil Zionist regime will be punished by our brave men. We will make it regret this crime and the others,” threatened the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Strikes in Syria: the United States claims to have “nothing to do” in the attacks
“We had nothing to do with this strike in Damascus. We were not involved in any way,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. “The Iranian Foreign Minister’s comments that we should be held accountable or that we are to blame are simply absurd,” he added, while the United States points the finger at Tehran’s responsibility.
The American official refers to comments by the head of Iranian diplomacy, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. He announced that he had sent “an important message” to the United States, which, “as supporters of the Zionist regime”, “must assume their responsibilities”.
Palestinians relaunch the process to become a full member state of the UN
In a letter addressed to the UN Secretary General and transmitted to the Security Council, the Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, announced, “at the request of the Palestinian leaders”, to relaunch this procedure to become a member state at full part of the United Nations. The diplomat calls on the Council to examine it “in April 2024”.
“It was the international community that decided to create two states in Palestine in 1947. It is the duty of the international community, alongside the Palestinian people, to complete this process by admitting Palestine as a member state,” declared the ambassador in February.
The Palestinians received “support” from representatives in particular of Arab countries and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Furthermore, 140 member states recognize “the State of Palestine”, they affirm in their letter.
In September 2011, the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, launched the procedure requesting “the accession of the State of Palestine to the UN”, which was never completed. The Palestinians finally obtained observer status in November 2012.