The Palestinian Authority and Jordan have agreed to submit a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council calling for international protection for Palestinian civilians following the killing of an 18-month-old infant by suspected Jewish extremists.
Palestinian ambassador to Jordan, Atallah Khairi, told Jordanian newspaper al-Ghad that the decision was taken following an arson attack by suspected Jewish settlers which killed Palestinian infant Ali Dawabsha and critically injured his father, mother and four-year-old brother.
The newspaper said that PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat spoke with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Nasser Judah to discuss diplomatic responses to the deadly arson attack.
Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad told Ma’an that possible moves include requesting the inclusion of Jewish extremist groups on international terrorism lists.
“The Palestinian side is considering practical steps to reconsider economic, administrative and security agreements with the (Israeli) occupation as previously approved by the Palestinian Central Council,” he added.
Meanwhile, PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki left for Geneva on Monday and will appeal to the United Nations Human Rights Council to uphold and implement the Fourth Geneva Convention in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Fourth Geneva Convention was adopted in 1949 and covers the protection of civilian populations during armed conflict and in occupied territories.
The move is to coincide with simultaneous action at the International Criminal Court following the deadly arson attack.
Abbas said on Friday that he would appeal to the ICC to open an investigation into the attack, telling reporters: “We are immediately preparing the file that will be submitted to the ICC.”
The president said that the arson attack was one in a series of crimes committed by Israeli settlers and the government, and called on the international community — above all the United States — to condemn the Israeli leadership.
Israeli settlers have carried out at least 120 attacks on Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank since the start of 2015, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
According to the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din, only 1.9 percent of complaints submitted by Palestinians against Israeli civilian attacks result in a conviction.
(Ma’an – www.maannews.net)
