Special report:Internal situation in Palestine

A Palestinian woman carries her wounded son after shelling by Israeli tanks at Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza strip, Nov. 8, 2006. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian UN observer Riyad Mansour denounced on Thursday the latest Israel's offensive in Gaza as "state terrorism," and urged the UN Security Council to blame Israel.

    The council held an open meeting Thursday at the request of the22-member Arab League, the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference and the 116-nation Non-Aligned Movement after Wednesday's deadly attacks by Israel which killed 18 Palestinian people.

    Addressing the council members, Mansour said Israel had continued and intensified "barbaric military aggression" against the Palestinian people, including "flagrant violations and grave breaches of international law" which had caused great suffering and extensive destruction.

    "This is terrorism. This is state terrorism," he said, refusing to accept the Israeli apology and maintaining that the perpetrators must be held accountable under international law for war crimes.

    Mansour also criticized the council for failing to act on the situation, despite countless appeals by many parties, creating a culture of impunity among Israelis, and destabilizing the region during a time period in which President Mahmoud Abbas had been attempting to promote unity and calm.

    In addition, he called for a strong condemnation of the ongoing Israeli aggression, the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a cease-fire monitored by a United Nations observer force.

    U.S. Ambassador John Bolton called for restraint on all sides, and required Israel to quickly complete an investigation into the killings.

    He also urged Israel to take steps to "avoid a repetition of this tragic incident," but stressing "there is no question that Israel has a right to defend itself and the lives of its citizens" when confronting threat of militant rocket attacks by Palestinians.

    Council members are discussing an Arab-backed resolution demanding the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and condemning Israeli attacks, particularly Wednesday's killings.

Beit Hanoun turned into ruins after Israeli offensives

    BEIT HANOUN, Gaza Strip, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Suffused with the smell of burned gunpowder, the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun was turned into ruins after a bloody six-day Israeli assault against the coastal strip.

    On early Wednesday, Israeli artillery shells killed 19 Palestinian civilians in Beit Hanoun, including 13 from one family. Full story>>

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