Incidents in Palestinian territories overshadow UN work

"The ongoing bloody events in the Palestinian territories have cast their dark shadows on the UN General Assembly proceedings," Egypt's Ambassador to the International Organization Ahmad Abul Gheit said.

In statements, Abul-Gheit said the Egyptian delegation to the UN was foremost among Arab and Islamic delegates who had pointed out to Israel's excessive use of force against Palestinian civilians, as the Assembly was debating measures aimed at wiping out international terrorism.

"The Egyptian delegation to the UN is currently participating actively in the drafting of a comprehensive agreement on eliminating the criminal phenomenon," Abul Gheit said.

"On the other hand, Egypt wants the agreement to apply to the acts of terrorism perpetrated by regular army troops to distinguish between liberation activities and armed struggle against occupation, on the one hand, and terrorist acts by criminals on the other," Abul-Gheit said. "Egypt is also seeking consensus on a definition of terrorism and banning the sheltering of terrorists through granting them Political asylum," he added.

The General Assembly legal committee endorsed a new resolution on the implementation of the two 1977 protocols added to the 1949 four Geneva Conventions on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts. Both Israel and the US did not join the two protocols.