United Nations Split On Responding To Gaza Attack

In the wake of the Israeli airstrikes on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, the United Nations had quickly held an emergency meeting.

So far, the condemnation of Israel is slowly growing in regards to the airstrikes against the Gaza Strip. However, the United States government has said that Hamas is to blame for causing the airstrikes. During the Egyptian brokered ceasefire agreement, Hamas continued to violate it by firing rockets onto Israeli soil. In this respect, Israel responded by airstrikes. One can say that the results are not pretty. The United States, an ally to Israel, said that Hamas was at fault. It has urged Hamas to quit firing rockets onto Israeli soil. As tensions between Israel and Palestine continue to flare up, it will become one of the biggest international problems that United States President-Elect Barack Obama must face. Obama will take office on January 20, 2009. It will put a wrench in Obama’s hopes of a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine. So far, Syria and Lebanon could be thrown into the mix. Khaled Mashaal, the top leader of the Hamas Party in Syria gave his response. He said that the Palestinians would rise up once again to fight against Israel. “This is the time for a third uprising,” Mashaal had said. There is also the concern that the Hezbollah guerillas in Lebanon will launch rocket attacks onto northern Israel. So far, Russia has already drafted a press statement. The UN is debating on calling Israel to stop with the airstrikes on Gaza. At the same time, the UN is calling forth Gaza to stop with its rocket attacks. In regards to the emergency meeting, it was Libya that called upon the emergency meeting. It would be on behalf of the Arab Group of nations. The Arab community has already condemned the airstrikes. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN observer condemned and criticized the attacks. Mansour said it was unjustified. “The Security Council should demand that this be stopped immediately,” Mansour said. The UN Security Council is split on the matter.