Israel, Hamas brush off U.N. cease-fire resolution
Pubblicato da Andrea Pompozzi su 9 Gennaio, 2009
A Palestinian inspects rubble Friday after an overnight airstrike in Rafah in southern Gaza.
“The state of Israel has never agreed that any outside body would determine its right to defend the security of its citizens. The IDF will continue operations in order to defend Israeli citizens and will carry out the missions with which it has been assigned in the operation,” Olmert said.
Shortly after the Security Council vote, Hamas also rejected the resolution, the Paris daily newspaper Le Figaro reported.
The resolution “does not serve our interests nor that of the people of Palestine,” said Hamas official Raafat Morra, speaking from Lebanon. “It does not take into account the aspirations and the principal objectives of the Palestinian people.”
Roughly 778 Palestinians and 13 Israelis, including 10 soldiers, have been killed since Israel began its air and ground assault, which it says is meant to stop Hamas militants from continuing to use the territory to lob rockets into southern Israel. 
See images from the offensive »
Palestinian sources said another 3,170 Palestinians have been wounded in the last two weeks, 380 of them critically.
The Security Council called overwhelmingly for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza late Thursday, expressing “grave concern” at a mounting humanitarian crisis and heavy civilian casualties in the Palestinian territory.
Fourteen of the council’s 15 members voted in favor of Resolution 1860, with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice abstaining from the vote on behalf of the United States. Rice said the United States prefers to wait on the results of ongoing, Egyptian-brokered talks in Cairo between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. 
Watch why U.S. abstained from Security Council vote »
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The resolution “stresses the urgency of, and calls for, an immediate, durable and fully respected cease-fire which will lead to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.”
Although the resolution does not mention Hamas by name, it does condemn “all violence and hostilities directed against civilians and all acts of terrorism.”
A resolution from the council, particularly one that passes with such large support, can put international pressure on parties involved in a conflict. But they are in no way binding, and many in the past have been ignored by warring factions.
The Israel Defense Forces said aircraft attacked more than 50 targets in Gaza identified as terrorist sites as Israel’s offensive against Hamas stretched into its 14th day. Watch an ambassador denounce Hamas attacks »
One location hit by Israeli missiles was a house in northern Gaza where six people were killed early Friday, the Ramattan News Agency in Gaza City reported.
Palestinian medical sources said 22 Palestinians were killed Friday.
The IDF said its missiles hit five Gaza sites where Hamas was launching rockets into Israel Friday morning, including one that was adjacent to a mosque.
Israel took steps before Friday prayers to head off any possible violence in Jerusalem. West Bank entries into Israel have been halted through Saturday night and men younger than 50 were banned from entering Jerusalem mosques.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/09/israel.gaza/index.html
