PALESTINIANS DECRY ISRAEL’S EXCLUSION FROM UN BLACKLIST

Ramallah, 25 Sha’ban 1436/12 June 2015 (MINA) -Palestine’s chief negotiator on Friday blasted this week’s decision by the UN not to include Israel on its list of countries and organizations that cause harm to children.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)’s executive board, condemned UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Monday decision to leave Israel off of the blacklist.

“We sent a list containing the names of 754 [Palestinian] children killed by Israel in 2014 to the UN secretary-general,” Erekat said.

He was referring to Israel’s military onslaught against the Gaza Strip in the summer of last year, in which more than 2,160 Palestinians – including numerous children – were killed.

“We’re not seeking revenge,” Erekat asserted. “We only want to protect our people and avoid a repetition of the massacre committed against us.”

The UN had earlier confirmed that at least 44 Palestinians had been killed – and another 220 injured – when Israel attacked seven UN-run schools in the Gaza Strip amid 51 days of fierce aerial bombardments last July and August.

Last week, Human Rights Watch urged the UN chief to resist pressure exerted by Israel and its allies to keep the self-proclaimed Jewish state off the world body’s blacklist.(T/R04/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)