Middle East - AP
Resolution Seeks End to Israel Demolitions
Date: Wed, May 19, 2004
By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer
UNITED NATIONS - Arab nations introduced a Security Council resolution demanding that Israel stop the demolition of homes in the Rafah refugee camp in Gaza.
The United States proposed major amendments aimed at balancing the resolution presented Tuesday.
The U.S. draft would call on Israel to respect its obligations under international law, "including its obligation not to undertake demolition of homes as a punitive measure." It would also call on the Palestinian Authority (news - web sites) to take "immediate action" against terrorist groups and end the smuggling of illegal weapons into the West Bank and Gaza.
Britain's U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry offered separate amendments, also aimed at creating a better balanced text, which he said were "some distance" between the American and Arab texts.
Both Jones Parry and Germany's U.N. Ambassador Gunter Pleuger said after a closed meeting that the Security Council would like to reach agreement on a resolution.
But it wasn't clear whether the Palestinians and their supporters were prepared to accept any amendments.
"We had a good beginning today and there's every chance we can get to consensus. We hope so at least," Pleuger said.
Jones Parry and Pleuger predicted there would be a vote on a resolution on Wednesday.
Yemen's U.N. Ambassador Abdullah Alsaidi, the current chairman of the Arab Group, called on council members to take "necessary measures" against Israel for violating international law.
The Arab text, introduced by Algeria, the only Arab nation on the council, would condemn "the recent large scale demolition of homes committed by Israel" in Rafah where some 1,100 refugees are now homeless. It would also express grave concern "about the declared plans and threats by Israel, the occupying power, to demolish hundreds more Palestinian homes in the Rafah area."
Both the Arab and U.S. texts would demand "the complete cessation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terrorism, attacks, provocation, incitement and destruction."
Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) has repeatedly appealed to Israel to stop destroying homes, which violates international law, and on Monday he reiterated his distress that Israel was continuing the demolitions.
U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said recent reports from U.N. agencies found that some 2,197 people have lost their homes in the first 15 days of May.
Last week, Israeli troops destroyed about 100 houses in the camp, and officials said hundreds more may be torn down. In all, more than 11,000 Palestinians in Rafah — out of a population of 90,000 — have been made homeless by Israeli demolitions since the outbreak of fighting in 2000.
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