Arabs group for probes into Israeli abuses
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 4/16/2002

Egypt yesterday slammed Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians and blamed the Jewish state's occupation of Palestinian territories for regional tensions.

"Israel's claim that it is acting in self defence is exposed by its killing of children, rendering Palestinian families shelterless, demolishing their houses, denying the injured access to health care services and murdering foreign reporters," said Naela Gabr, Egypt's chief delegate to the UN headquarters in Geneva.

Since March 29, the Israeli army has been launching sweeping incursions into the Palestinian self-controlled areas. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has shrugged off demands for immediate withdrawal.

The Egyptian diplomat demanded prompt investigations into the Israeli abuses and the dispatch of monitoring peacekeeping forces. Addressing a committee on human rights in the occupied Arab territories, Gabr, who was speaking on behalf of the Arab group, referred to efforts made by Arabs to staunch bloodshed in the region.

She blamed Sharon for the deteriorating situation. She also pointed to a peace plan floated by Saudi Arabia which offers Israel normal Arab ties in exchange for a full withdrawal from the territories occupied in the 1967 War. Arab leaders endorsed the initiative during a summit conference in Beirut last month.

The Spanish delegate , meanwhile, said that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and Jewish settlement construction policy were the key reasons for human rights abuses. Spain is holding the rotating presidency of the European Union. The Spanish official demanded Israel to fully withdraw from the occupied territories.

Addressing the same meeting on behalf of Africa, the Tunisian delegate condemned Israel's violations of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories. He urged peace sponsors and the UN to take necessary measures to ensure the dispatch of international monitors to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

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