NEW YORK—After a barrage of hundreds of rockets struck Israel from the Gaza Strip on Saturday, the World Jewish Congress appealed to Indonesia, as president of the United Nations Security Council, to lead the international community in unequivocally condemning Hamas and holding it responsible for the terrorist acts that it continues to carry out and enable in the territory under its control.
In a letter to Amb. Dian Triansyah Djani, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the United Nations, WJC CEO and Executive Vice President Robert Singer noted that the latest barrage targeted civilian areas with direct hits.
“Yet again, Hamas and other terror groups in Gaza continue to indiscriminately target Israeli civilians whose sole goal is to live in peace with their neighbors. This latest provocation is simply unacceptable and unjustifiable. It is an ill-fated attempt by the group to divert attention from their mismanagement and tyrannical rule over the Palestinian people living in the Gaza Strip,” Singer wrote.
“Upon taking the presidency of the UN Security Council this month, you noted that you wish to ‘keep the momentum’ in the Council on the issue of Palestine, which you will do by hosting a special Arria-Formula meeting on Monday, May 6,” Singer added.
“In this meeting, it is time that the UN Security Council, its members, and the international community, unequivocally condemn Hamas and these dangerous actions, and hold Hamas responsible for the terrorist acts that it continues to carry out and enable in the territory under its control in the Gaza Strip,” Singer wrote.
Over the course of Saturday, over 400 rockets were launched by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from the Gaza Strip at Israel. A man was killed in Ashkelon after a rocket struck his home. Close to 50 people were injured.
The IDF has reinforced troops along the Gaza border.According to the IDF , troops from the 7th armored brigade “which would be ready to act as an offensive force within the Gaza Division.”
Moshe Agadi, a father of four, was killed when a rocket struck his home in Ashkelon when he went out to smoke a cigarette.
He was struck by shrapnel to his stomach and chest and was taken by Magen David Adom teams to Barzilai hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The military said that 70% of rockets fell in open areas and over 250 were shot down by the Iron Dome missile defense system.
The IDF said it stuck some 230 targets belonging to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad across the Strip in retaliation for the rockets fired towards Israel since Saturday morning.