Palestine's UN envoy calls for international 'protective force' to stop Gaza offensive

Riyad Mansour implores Security Council to 'stop this genocide' in letter seen by The National

Riyad Mansour said was it 'unconscionable that the world continues watching' Israel's actions in Gaza. EPA

Palestine's ambassador to the UN on Friday called for the immediate deployment of an international force to protect the Palestinian people, accused Israel of genocide and urged the Security Council to intervene.

In a letter to the Security Council seen by The National, Riyad Mansour said the “time is long past due for immediate international intervention to stop this genocide”.

Mr Mansour urged the "deployment of an international protective force for the Palestinian people".

"The international community must act with the urgency and resolve demanded by this unbearable, catastrophic and dangerous situation,” he wrote, citing obligations under international law.

Mr Mansour's request for an international on-the-ground force to protect Palestinians comes after French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said he had asked advisers to work with the Security Council on mandating an international coalition to deploy in Gaza.

The letter comes as UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs declared that Gaza city is gripped by famine amid fighting and an Israeli blockade.

Israel’s Defence Minister warned on Friday that Gaza’s largest city could be destroyed unless Hamas yields to his country's terms. A day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would authorise the military to mount a major operation to seize Gaza city, Israel Katz warned that the city could “turn into Rafah and Beit Hanoun”, referring to areas largely reduced to rubble earlier in the war.

Israel says Gaza city is still a Hamas stronghold, with a network of militants' tunnels, following several large-scale raids. The city is also home to hundreds of thousands of civilians, some of whom have fled from other areas. It also contains some of the territory's critical infrastructure and health facilities.

Palestine's UN envoy breaks down during UN Security Council meeting

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The Palestinian UN envoy’s letter condemned what it called “Israel’s obliteration of Palestinian existence in Gaza, ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people and annexation schemes in Occupied Palestine”.

Mr Mansour stated it was “unconscionable that the world continues watching” while “still failing to act to halt these war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide”.

Israel has repeatedly denied allegations of genocide, saying its military operations in Gaza are targeted at Hamas, which triggered the war with its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

The Security Council has faced deadlocks over the war, with the US using its veto power to block several resolutions calling for a ceasefire.