LIVE GAZA. United Nations Security Council calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza | Israel-Palestine conflict

On the Grote Markt of Antwerp several dozen people took action on Monday evening at the start of the city council meeting. She protested against the agreement that the city council approved that allows the Antwerp police to purchase Israeli tear gas weapons.

The weapons in question are intended for law enforcement to keep troublemakers at a distance during riots. The manufacturer is a supplier to the Israeli army and police, which makes the possible purchase a wrong signal, according to the demonstrators. “The purchase would directly finance genocide practices against the Palestinian people“, they say. “That’s it Antwerp city council has blood on its hands.”

In a broader perspective, the activists also believe that the Antwerp police goes too far in the “militarization” of the force by purchasing heavy weapons and armored vehicles and deploying them for law enforcement.

There exist “reasonable grounds” to believe that Israel has committed multiple “acts of genocide.” That states UN human rights expert Francesca Albaneseresponsible for monitoring the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, in a new report.

“Reveal the overwhelming nature and scale of the Israeli attack on Gaza and the devastating living conditions it has created an intention to physically destroy the Palestinians as a group“, it sounds. According to Albanese, the “intention to commit genocide” is back in the discourse of senior military officials and government officials.

Further mentions Israel also systematically calls Gazans “terrorists” or “supporters of terrorists,” potentially mistaking hundreds of thousands of civilians as targets or “collateral damage.”, the report said. “This is why By definition, no Palestinian is safe in Gaza.”

Albanese also refers in the report to “it long-term colonial process of erasure“, which preceded the escalation of violence. “The Nakba that is going on must be stopped and repaired once and for all,” the conclusion reads.

The report will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday.

The Secretary General of the United NationsAntonio Guterressays it not responding to UN Security Council’s call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip “inexcusable” would be. The U.S. Council on Monday approved a resolution calling for such a ceasefire, after the United States abstained.

“The resolution must be implemented. A failure would be inexcusable”Guterres wrote on social media.

In the meantime, respondt Israel furious. The country canceled a visit by two envoys to Washington. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the United States’ abstention caused “damage” to its war efforts and efforts to free hostages. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel would not end the war until the hostages are freed.

Hamas, for its part, responds with satisfaction. The militant Palestinian organization also said it is ready to immediately start a process to exchange prisoners and hostages.

The Palestinian Ambassador to the UN finally, Riyad Mansour, said that a immediate ceasefire “must be a tipping point” that puts an end to the suffering of the residents of the Gaza Strip. “It should make it possible to save lives on the ground.”

According to a statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there will be no delegation will descend on the American capital. This response comes after the Americans did not use their veto in the Security Council vote on the Gaza ceasefire.

The delegation would normally travel to America to discuss plans for military actions in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza.

The White House says the changes in plans are “not ideal.”

The Security Council has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The United States did not use its veto. The resolution was tabled by several countries including Switzerland, Japan, South Korea and Mozambique.

In addition, must hostages should be released immediately and humanitarian aid should be allowed into Gaza. Hamas and the Israeli army must adhere to international law.

In a previous version of the resolution called for a “immediate and permanent ceasefire”, but ‘permanent’ died at the last minute. This sparked a lively debate among the members of the Security Council.