United Nations, June 9 (RHC)-- The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations has called on the UN General Assembly to adopt a resolution seeking investigations into the increasing deadly attacks against people in the besieged Gaza Strip by Israeli troops, demanding that the world body ensure the protection of Palestinian people.
Addressing his fellow Palestinians, Riyad Mansour said during a press conference in New York on Friday that despite being in initial stages, he had managed to draw support for such a resolution from the "majority of members" in the Security Council.
"And, we are determined to have a larger support in the General Assembly, when it moves to the General Assembly soon. And we will not relent until protection to be provided in the path of ending occupation," he added.
AFP quoted a diplomatic source as saying that an emergency meeting had been pushed by the Organization of Islamic States and the Arab League. The General Assembly's president, Miroslav Lajcak, said the meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 13th, to vote on a resolution to condemn Israel.
"We will work next week to get the maximum number of votes," said a diplomat from a country that supported the move. Unlike those passed by the Security Council, the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly are non-binding.
The developments came hours after Israeli soldiers shot dead four Palestinian demonstrators protesting at a rally marking the International Quds Day along the border between the blockaded sliver and the occupied territories. More than 600 others were also wounded on Friday along the flash-point border either by Israeli fire or as a result of inhaling tear gas.
It was the 11th Friday in a row where thousands of Palestinians protested at the border fence since the "Great March of Return" began in the Gaza Strip on March 30. More than 120 Palestinian protesters have been killed and thousands more injured by Israeli forces, mainly sharpshooters.
"What happened today on the ground of killing more Palestinian civilians, injuring more of them, is a testament to the urgency of needing the protection to be provided. And I said we will not relent in our quest to try to find ways to provide protection for the civilian population, because it is our duty," Mansour added.