A diplomatic delegation representing different countries visited on Saturday Jenin refugee camp at the invitation of UNRWA to get a first-hand look at the destruction caused by the two-day Israeli military aggression earlier last week that left 13 Palestinians dead including four children and more than 140 wounded.
European Union (EU) representative Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff who led a delegation of UN officials and diplomats from 25 countries described the situation in the camp as “painful” adding that what happened in the camp was a violation of international law.
His remarks echoed UN chief Antonio Guterres who on Thursday told reporters that “there was an excessive force used by Israeli forces” in its 48-hour operation the largest Israel has staged in the occupied Palestinian territory for years.
The EU official called for pressure on Israel to resolve the conflict otherwise he said stopping the violence would be impossible.
He urged Israel to refrain directly and clearly from any action that harms civilians to respect international law during any military operation to publicly investigate any event of abuse by settlers and to hold accountable those who carry out attacks.
He said that the aim of the visit is to show solidarity with the civilian population in the camp which must be protected under all circumstances especially children and families to see the damage that has occurred and to submit reports to their capitals on what happened in Jenin.
“We are concerned about the deployment of weaponry and weapons systems which question the proportionality of the military during the operation” Kuehn von Burgsdorff said of the deadly Israeli operation in Jenin.
“This cycle of violence has to end it cannot continue. If there is no political solution to the conflict we are going to stand here in a week’s time in a month’s time in a year’s time with nothing changed” he added.
