NEW YORK (Palestine Foundation Information Center) Former Israeli peace negotiator Daniel Levy said on Tuesday that observing a minute of silence in mourning for each one of the 18,000 Palestinian children killed by Israel in the Gaza Strip would take more than 300 hours.
“A minute of silence for each of the Bibas children would be appropriate, as would a minute of silence for each of the more than 18,000 Palestinian children murdered in Israel’s devastation of Gaza. That silence would extend to over 300 hours,” Levy told a UN Security Council meeting.
Levy emphasized the need for achieving justice for all humans according to the same international humanitarian laws and the importance of holding Israel accountable for its crimes and not allowing it to act with impunity.
During his speech, he delivered a strong message to the international community, calling for justice for the Palestinian people and enforcing international resolutions, conventions and the UN charter to protect them, stressing that humanitarian suffering should not be selective.
He lauded the resilience of the Palestinians despite the humanitarian disaster that has befallen them due to the Israeli genocide.
He reminded the audience of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, who “is still mistreated and held in Israeli detention.”
He said that “we should not forget the names of the Bibas family’s children, Ariel and Kafier, and the circumstances of their death.”
“Nor should we forget the name of Leila al-Khatib, the two-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed a few days ago in her home in the occupied West Bank, just days ago while eating dinner with her family, or five-year-old Hind Rajab who was bombed and denied medical care, and died with her family,” he added.
In a clear reference to Trump’s plan to expel Palestinians and take over Gaza, Levy told the council that the “unlawful forced displacement of Palestinians must not be endorsed or encouraged by any state, let alone a permanent member of the Security Council.”
Levy also drew comparisons between Israel and the former regime of apartheid South Africa, saying that Israel has conducted itself in ways that render the UN Charter “meaningless”.
“It is the kind of affront which, decades ago, led to apartheid South Africa being suspended from active participation at the UN,” he said.
