Foreign minister Malki to UNSC: A truce must become a ceasefire

Riyad Al-Malki, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the observer State of Palestine, addressed the UN Security Council meeting today urging that a truce must become a ceasefire. 'This is not a war,' he said. 'This is a carnage that no one can justify. It must be brought to an end.' People must be allowed to go back to their homes, al-Malki added. 'Over 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel," he said. "Over 10,000 of them are women and children. They have been killed by Israel. They did not lose their life; it was taken away. No one is safe in Gaza, not the children, not the doctors, not the humanitarian personnel, not the journalists, not the UN staff. They were killed at an unprecedented pace in modern history," he added. Malki called for international protection, stating that the protection of Palestinians cannot be ensured by the occupying forces who are complicit in these crimes. 'We need international protection and international action to end impunity so as to prevent the recurr ence of these crimes that occur daily and in broad daylight,' he said. 'What our people are enduring now is the result of the international community's failure to provide such protection and accountability.' These actions have consequences far beyond the borders of Gaza, he stressed. Malki said Israel is trying to intimidate those criticizing it and defending the rule of international law across the globe, including governments that consider themselves allies of Israel, the Secretary-General and UN agencies, human rights, and humanitarian organizations. 'Israel is not seeking security.' If it was, it would choose peace, the foreign minister said, adding that Israel, and this Israeli government more than any other, considers that the strategic threat it is confronted with is Palestinian statehood. 'Gaza has a very special place in our national history,' he said. 'Its name today is how many people spell Palestine around the world. It cannot be erased. Our people cannot be uprooted from it. Its Palestinianne ss cannot be altered. There is no Palestine without Gaza. Gaza bleeds, Gaza suffers, Gaza aches, but Gaza lives. And Palestine lives. Free Palestine. That is the only path to peace,' added Malki. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA