The Government of India has condemned the ongoing Israel’s air strikes on Gaza and appealed for utmost restraint so as to give peace a chance. The ministry of external affairs said in a release on Monday.
The ministry said in a release that it was ‘disappointing’ to note that the use of 'disproportionate force' has resulted in a large number of civilian casualties in Gaza. The attack on innocent Palestinians in Gaza by Israel military is unwarranted and condemnable.
'It is disappointing that the use of disproportionate force was resulting in a large number of civilian casualties on one hand and escalating violence on the other,’ the statement said.
A ceasefire must be declared immediately: UN
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon too on Monday demanded that Israel and Hamas halt their acts of violence and take all necessary measures to avoid civilian casualties. He also urged Israel to keep open all border crossings necessary for the continued provision of humanitarian supplies to Gaza.
‘A ceasefire must be declared immediately and they must curb their inflammatory rhetoric; only then can dialogue start,’ said UN chief.
Ban also urged world leaders to take all possible means to end the violence and encourage political dialogue, emphasizing peaceful ways of resolving differences.
As per UN reports, at least 62 of the 320 Gazans killed so far in the Israeli air strikes were women and children, but it is not yet know how many civilians were killed. Some 1,400 people have been injured. Such large number of casualties is also due the huge population in a small area.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes in a statement condemned the excessive use of force by saying that international humanitarian law demanded a proportionate response and very clear distinction between combatants and civilians.
The international organisation has also expressed its concern over the safety and security of UN personnel working in Gaza, as eight students at an UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) training centre were killed and 19 others injured from the blast of a missile on Saturday. “UN premises must be protected and inviolate,” UNSCO said in a statement.
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Comments:
MT
January 1, 2009 at 12:00 AM
These bunch of congress monkeys will make statments to appease muslims.
National and strategic interest are above religion, so India should condemn attacks, but should blast hamas for its war provocation with missle attacks on Israel's border. Hamas is being used by Iran by the way.