Identical letters dated 8 August 2014 from the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council
Hamas has once again broken a ceasefire agreement and resumed firing rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel. Rockets were fired hours before the ceasefire was scheduled to conclude at 8 a.m. Since then, Hamas has launched a barrage of over 45 rockets into Israel, injuring several Israeli civilians. The rocket fire is continuing at this very moment.
Israel has agreed to every ceasefire proposal in an effort to restore the calm and allow civilians on both sides to return to normal life. For this reason, Israel notified Egypt that it had agreed to an extension of the ceasefire hours before its conclusion. Hamas, however, declared its intention to renew its attacks on the Jewish State.
By breaking the ceasefire this morning, Hamas has proven once again that it has no regard for the well-being of the Palestinian people. Hamas must be held responsible for preventing humanitarian relief from reaching the people of Gaza and for using its own people as pawns and human shields. If the terrorist group had agreed to Egypt’s ceasefire proposal on 15 July, 90 per cent of Palestinian casualties could have been avoided.
Israel held its fire for hours, but in the face of the renewed and unrelenting threat to its citizens, it had no choice but to defend itself. Israel is committed to ending the current round of violence, but will not negotiate while its citizens are subject to ongoing attacks from land, air and sea. It is time for the United Nations and its agencies to finally place the blame where it belongs: on Hamas. To be clear, Hamas started this conflict, Hamas is responsible for the humanitarian tragedy and Hamas must be held accountable.
I call on the Secretary-General and the Security Council to immediately and unequivocally:
Condemn Hamas in the strongest possible terms for violating the ceasefire
- Support Israel’s right to defend its citizens
- Demand the demilitarization of Gaza
- Designate Hamas as a terrorist organization
- I should be grateful if you would have the present letter distributed as a document of the Security Council.
(Signed) Ron Prosor
Ambassador
Permanent Representative
Document Type: Letter
Document Sources: Secretary-General, Security Council
Country: Israel
Subject: Armed conflict, Ceasefire, Gaza Strip, Human rights and international humanitarian law, Incidents, Legal issues, Negotiations and agreements, Population, Protection, Security issues, Terrorism
Publication Date: 08/08/2014