RAMALLAH: Palestinian National Council president Rawhi Fattouh has called for immediate international action to deploy protective forces in the Gaza Strip.
Fattouh made this urgent appeal following an Israeli attack that killed members of a Palestinian family in Gaza City’s Al-Zaytoun neighbourhood.
He described the Israeli army’s targeting of a civilian vehicle carrying eleven people as a massacre conducted without warning.
This attack occurred after the vehicle reportedly crossed the unofficial demarcation known as the “yellow line” within Gaza.
Fattouh characterised this incident as part of Israel’s ongoing policy of killing and destruction against Palestinians.
He stated that this crime reflects the systematic approach followed by the occupation forces.
“This crime is not an isolated act but part of a continuous pattern of killing and destruction amid clear international inaction to hold the perpetrators accountable,“ Fattouh said.
He declared the Israeli government fully responsible for what he termed a war crime against humanity.
Fattouh specifically urged the international community to take immediate measures to deploy international protection forces.
He also called on world powers and the United States administration to ensure ceasefire compliance.
His demands included providing Palestinians with essential food, shelter, and medical care based on justice and human rights principles.
Fattouh rejected Israel’s justification that the vehicle approached the “yellow line” as a valid reason for the attack.
He described this justification as a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
The incident further demonstrates Israel’s disregard for human values and international conventions protecting civilians.
The “yellow line” represents an unofficial boundary separating Israeli forces from Palestinian movement areas within Gaza.
This demarcation was established under the October 10 ceasefire agreement brokered through regional and international mediation.
The agreement stipulated partial Israeli withdrawal from several Gaza areas to new positions within the enclave.
Israeli attacks have killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023.
Most casualties have been women and children according to the reported figures.
These attacks have rendered Gaza largely uninhabitable for its remaining population. – Bernama-Anadolu
