By Merve Aydogan
HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN committee responsible for the rights of the Palestinian people said Thursday that the Gaza Strip is at a "turning point," urging immediate steps to protect civilians, ensure humanitarian access and end the Israeli blockade.
"We are at a turning point now," said Coly Seck, chair of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP), told a Security Council session on Palestine, noting that at least 87 Palestinians have been killed since the signing of the Gaza ceasefire deal on Oct. 10.
Seck said the committee "reiterates its call for rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza, with the central role played by UNRWA and the restoration of basic services such as health, water and sanitation," and called on Israel to "fully uphold its legal obligations under international law."
He stressed that "the suffering of the Palestinian population in Gaza must end now," and "the blockade of Gaza must be lifted immediately."
Urging support for the ceasefire, accountability and reconstruction, Seck called on the Security Council to deploy "a peace mission with a mandate to protect the civilians."
"Now it's time to look forward to a new beginning with hope for the Palestinians and everyone in the Middle East," he said.