Kuwait urges UN to deploy troops to protect Palestinians in Gaza

Kuwait is urging the UN to deploy an international force to protect Palestinians in Gaza against Israeli occupation forces. The Gulf nation has drafted a resolution denouncing Israel’s use of force against protestors and demanded that Israel “immediately cease its military reprisals, collective punishment and unlawful use of force against civilians, including in the Gaza Strip.”

The only Arab representative on the UN Security Council circulated the draft yesterday following repeated efforts to get the Security Council to agree on a statement over the killing of over 60 Palestinians by Israeli occupation forces. This week’s earlier statement urging the UN Security Council to condemn Israel’s use of force against Palestinian civilians “in the strongest terms”, was blocked by the US, which claimed it was one-sided.

The Kuwaiti draft statement circulated yesterday urged the UN to guarantee the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilian population, including through the deployment of “an international protection mission”.

In addition, the draft calls for the lifting of the 11-year siege imposed by Israel on Gaza; “the full lifting of the blockade and the restrictions imposed by Israel on the movement and access into and out of the Gaza Strip.”

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It further calls for the “the immediate, sustained and unconditional opening of the crossing points” to allow humanitarian aid, commercial goods and people to enter and leave in accordance with international law. Palestinians in Gaza should be given immediate and unimpeded aid, it added.

If the motion gains a majority Israel will expect the US to provide the usual diplomatic cover and veto the resolution as it has done dozens of time over the years.