Erekat: Israel is committing war crimes

PLO member Saeb Erekat said in a statement to Arabstoday on Wednesday that acts committed by Israel in the holy city of Jerusalem “amount to war crimes.” He called on the international community, the UN Security Council, and states included in the Fouth Geneva Convention to “respond to the Israeli violations in occupied Jerusalem.” Erekat said Israel needed to be held accountable and be dealt with it as an occupation force, as it “breached all international laws and charters.” In response to Israel’s decision to form teams to speed up the demolition of residents’ houses in Jerusalem, Erekat emphasised that Israeli violations amounted to war crimes. With regard to talks calling for the UN Security Council to form a fact-finding committee on the Occupation in Jerusalem, Erekat stated that PA President Mahmoud Abbas had initiated dialogue and that the Palestinians were trying to build an international support base. “The statements of Israeli officials that the reconciliation led to the increase of rockets being fired from Gaza is like a broken record...the world has rejected it,” Erekat stated, adding that all factions in Gaza were committed to the truce.