Israel rejects UN resolution on extended pauses in fighting in Gaza

Benefit concert in Amsterdam for Gaza raises 72,000 euros

A benefit concert for Gaza in the Melkweg in Amsterdam raised more than 72,000 euros on Wednesday evening, reports the ANP news agency. The money will go to Save the Children’s child emergency fund for Gaza.

At the concert organized by the Melkweg and Paradiso Cease Fire Now! S10, Froukje, Sef, Hang Youth and Zoë Tauran, among others, performed. The Tilburg pop venue 013 also donated money.

Israel rejects UN resolution on extended pauses in fighting in Gaza

Israel rejects the resolution adopted by the UN Security Council on Wednesday calling for “extended humanitarian pauses” in the fighting in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli newspaper writes Haaretz. According to Israel, there is no room for that as long as Hamas continues to hold people hostage. Security Council resolutions are binding under international law, but Israel has often ignored binding resolutions in the past.

Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan is outraged that the resolution does not explicitly condemn Hamas. “Hamas’ strategy is to deliberately worsen the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and increase the number of Palestinian victims in order to get the UN and the Security Council to stop Israel,” Erdan said. “That will not happen. Israel will continue until Hamas is destroyed and the hostages are free.”

The United States also finds it incomprehensible that Hamas’ crimes remain unmentioned in the resolution and therefore abstained from the vote. “There is no excuse not to condemn these acts of terror,” US UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield responded, according to international news agencies. But the US did not use its veto power to thwart the resolution.

Israel announced four-hour daily combat breaks last week, but the resolution calls for “urgent and comprehensive humanitarian breaks and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip.” These must last long enough to “enable full, rapid, safe and unhindered access for United Nations humanitarian organizations and their implementing partners.”

In addition to the US, Russia and the United Kingdom also abstained. The other twelve countries currently part of the Security Council voted in favor. The adoption of the resolution means that international pressure on Israel is increasing, even though the country does not intend to respond to the call.