Clashes between Israelis and Palestinians. Israel at war with the United Nations on settlements
Jerusalem (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Overnight clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians in West Bank resulted in a soldier belonging to the special of Duvdevan, being stabbed during a patrol in the area east of Ramallah, the capital of the West Bank . He was admitted to Jerusalem's Hadassah University Hospital with wounds to his back and face, according to doctors he has suffered "minor injuries" and is in "stable condition". In response, the Israeli security forces opened fire wounding three Palestinians, the soldiers then picked them up and brought them to an Israeli medical facilities for treatment and subsequent investigations.
Initial reports indicate
the condition of two injured Palestinians are "critical" one of them
suffered a bullet to the neck and the other in the stomach. They
too are hospitalized at Hadassah Hospital and the third wounded man was transported to
Shaare Zedek
Medical Center
in Jerusalem.
The
Israeli security forces (IDF) have launched an internal investigation to
determine the causes that led to violence. The
stabbing and subsequent assault is the second episode of this kind - in March -
against an army unit during patrols in the West Bank.
About
two weeks ago, a soldier in the Kfir Brigade also suffered a knife attack to
the neck.
Meanwhile, Israel has broken relations with the UN Council for Human Rights, after the decision taken by the United Nations to launch an investigation against Tel Aviv into the West Bank settlements. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a direct order to Geneva, headquarters of its UN representative, for delegates not cooperate with the UNHRC and senior official Navi Pillay. The Israeli government has branded the decision to open an investigation into possible violations as "surreal" and denied access to the team of UN experts.
The problem of
illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, is the main obstacle to the resumption of
peace talks. The
Palestinian Authority calls for a freeze on new settlements, or at least a
moratorium, but the government in Tel Aviv does not intend to suspend
construction in the West Bank. Since
2010 there has been a deadlock in peace talks, which should lead to the
emergence of "two states" for the two peoples. Dispossession
of land for settlements also sees the demolition of Palestinian property by
Israeli authorities.
With
these methods, since 1967 2 thousand Palestinian homes have been torn down in East Jerusalem, 400 in 2008 alone. At
present there are at least 500 thousand Jews living in 100 settlements,
considered illegal under international law.
Last
week a vote of the UN Council for Human Rights - adopted by 36 votes in favor,
one against and 10 abstentions - decided to send an international and
independent mission of investigation to verify the problem. However,
Israel
yesterday through its representative decided for the immediate termination of
relations with the United Nations body.
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