Israeli armoured vehicles take part in an army drill during a visit of Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights
The U.S. said Thursday it will break with prior precedent and vote against a UN resolution calling on Israel to end its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights.
The U.S. had previously abstained rather than voting against the non-binding measure, but Washington's UN mission said it would change its vote to a "No" citing alleged "anti-Israel bias," but it is likely to pass the General Assembly nonetheless.
Nikki Haley, the U.S.'s UN envoy, made the announcement in which she called "useless” the annual resolution.
"If this resolution ever made sense, it surely does not today," she said in a statement. "The resolution is plainly biased against Israel. Further, the atrocities the Syrian regime continues to commit prove its lack of fitness to govern anyone. The destructive influence of the Iranian regime inside Syria presents major threats to international security."
The resolution is expected to come up for a vote Friday.
Israel occupied the Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War, capturing it from Syria. It was formally brought under Israeli law in 1981 under then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin in a move that has never been recognized by the international community, and was criticized at the time by Washington.
It remains sovereign Syrian territory under international law.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday received a phone call from Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA.The phone call, according to WAFA, focused on the “latest Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip”.According to the news agency, President Erdoğan condemned -- in the strongest possible terms -- the recent Israeli aggression.He also voiced Turkey’s readiness to support the people of Gaza and treat injured Palestinians at Turkish hospitals.Abbas, for his part, thanked Erdoğan for what he described as "Turkey’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people and cause”.On Monday evening, Israeli artillery pounded the Gaza Strip, killing at least seven Palestinians and injuring 26 others.
Abbas, Erdoğan discuss Israel's recent Gaza aggression
Anadolu Agency has visited a number of sites in the blockaded Gaza Strip, including a kindergarten, that were recently destroyed by Israeli airstrikes.During the most recent escalations on Monday, Israeli forces targeted residential buildings, a kindergarten, a television channel and sites associated with resistance faction Hamas.Israel has claimed that it only struck military installations, but destroyed children’s toys, singed pieces of furniture, burnt notebooks and shattered broadcast equipment -- all of which were pulled from the rubble -- strongly suggest otherwise.Anadolu Agency began its tour at the Shahd kindergarten, which was completely destroyed by Israeli attacks in Gaza City’s western Rimal district.In the debris of the kindergarten, which is run by Palestinian teacher Ebtisam al-Yazji, broken seats, burnt books, and ruined toys can be seen scattered all over the ground.Video: Rubble of ‘al-Aqsa TV’ building following Israeli bombing"Hours before the bombing, there were 200 children playing, taking their lessons, drawing and making clay sculptures," al-Yazji told Anadolu Agency while collecting furniture and toys that remained unaffected by the bombing."The children will not be able to come to kindergarten again. Israeli raids have destroyed almost everything and the building may be in danger of collapsing," she added.Adjacent to the kindergarten, there is a seven-story destroyed residential building called Al-Yazji. The building contains 14 apartments and a number of stores. It was struck by more than 10 rockets.Palestinian child Yazan al-Yazji, 12, showed an Anadolu Agency correspondent his damaged flat. The Israeli bombing divided the building into two halves, one of which was totally destroyed."Most of the people in this building are doctors; I do not know why Israel bombed them. There are no military facilities here," the young boy said.He added: "I do not know how I will go to school tomorrow. My books, my bag and my school clothes have been burned. We fled the house after being hit with the first shot with only our clothes."In Rafah city, a home that accommodated 10 members of the Dahir family, was struck by four Israeli rockets.After the first rocket destroyed a room in the house, the mother rushed to protect some of her children and let the rest run outside. They ran for their lives some 350 meters from the house to a nearby alley.In four minutes, three rockets struck a vacant lot in the middle of five houses, leaving several homes completely destroyed."The bombardment destroyed our house and our lives," Kamel Daher, a member of the family, told an Anadolu Agency correspondent."Our fodder company, which is adjacent to the house, was also completely destroyed. The Israeli rockets destroyed everything," he added.Al-Berim in Khan Younis city lived the same tragedy -- their home was destroyed the same night by three rockets."Look at this deep hole: as if a volcano had exploded at the bottom of the house,” Nasrullah al-Berim told Anadolu Agency.“I do not know why Israel uses all this force against us. We are civilians; we do not pose any danger to them," he said.Fighting to hold back his tears, he looked at the scattered stones of his house. Along with his children and grandchildren, he gathered up pieces of unbroken furniture and some books.The Israeli airstrikes also destroyed the Al-Amal Hotel and the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television channel.At least 14 Palestinians have been martyred by Israeli attacks in Gaza since Sunday.Tensions appeared to ease slightly late Tuesday after Israel and Gaza-based resistance factions agreed to an Egypt-brokered cease-fire.Since March 30, more than 200 Palestinians have been martyred by Israeli army gunfire -- and thousands more injured -- while taking part in ongoing rallies along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone.
Israeli attacks leave several parts of Gaza in ruins
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday called on Hamas to help achieving inter-Palestinian reconciliation. “The road is clear for reconciliation and the elimination of the causes of Palestinian division through the implementation of the Cairo Agreement in a comprehensive manner,” Abbas said at a meeting of the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah. “If Hamas agrees to implement the reconciliation agreement, we are ready," Abbas added. The Palestinian president also condemned recent Israeli aggression against Gaza. Arab League convenes urgent meeting on GazaAbbas also thanked all countries and parties that had contributed to a recent Hamas-Israel ceasefire. "Our goal is to spare our people more massacres and war crimes," he said. Since Sunday, at least 14 Palestinians have been martyred -- by Israeli airstrikes and artillery -- across the blockaded territory. On Sunday night, an Israeli officer was killed -- and another injured -- in a botched ground operation in Gaza. Tensions appeared to ease slightly late Tuesday after Israel and Gaza-based resistance factions agreed to an Egypt-brokered ceasefire.Malaysia: Aussie embassy's transfer to Jerusalem of no usePalestine’s Erekat appeals to international communityIsrael’s Lieberman tenders resignation to PM NetanyahuIsrael’s US-funded Iron Dome fails to down Hamas rocketsIsrael’s Gaza war part of bin Salman plot to distract world from Khashoggi killing
Palestine's Abbas condemns Israeli aggression on Gaza