Israel declares unilateral ceasefire in Gaza as of Friday
Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire in Gaza on Thursday after acting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his emergency cabinet in Jerusalem to confirm the cessation of hostilities. The truce will take effect from Friday.
Shortly before the meeting, his ambassador to the UN had left the extraordinary plenary as soon as the Palestinian ambassador began to shout criticisms of the operation Warden of the Walls. In this operation, Israeli air raids against the offensive capabilities of Palestinian militias entrenched in Gaza have also left 231 dead, of whom 61 are minors and 38 are women. Twelve people were also killed in Israel.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militias in Gaza, accusing both sides of violating the rules of war with their attacks on civilians.
"I call on all parties to cease hostilities now," the UN secretary-general told the first assembly attended - not just virtually - by numerous foreign ministers since the start of the pandemic. Guterres deplored all civilian deaths and stressed that "even wars have rules".
"Indiscriminate attacks and attacks on civilians and civilian property are violations of the rules of war. So are attacks on military targets that cause disproportionate loss of civilian life and injury," he stressed.
Although Palestine has said it will take the matter to the International Criminal Court (ICC) - of which it is a member - Israel shrugs its shoulders, as it is not a member. Earlier this year, the ICC declared itself competent to investigate alleged war crimes on Palestinian territory, which would affect not only the actions of Israeli armed and security forces over the past two weeks, but also the armed activities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which are considered terrorist organisations by the EU.
Guterres insists that "there is no justification, including counter-terrorism or self-defence, for parties to the conflict to abdicate their obligations under international humanitarian law".
It urges the Israeli authorities to comply with them by exercising "maximum restraint" and a proportionate use of force.
The UN Secretary-General also referred to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where violence has displaced tens of thousands of people seeking refuge and left them with limited access to food, water and sanitation.
"If there is a hell on earth, it is the lives of children in Gaza," said Guterres, who confirmed that he will launch a humanitarian appeal as soon as possible to raise funds to support the population of the strip.
