Israel UN envoy decries 'war crimes,' UN Security Council meets
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan speaks during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on "The Middle East, including the Palestinian question" at U.N., headquarters in New York City, U.S. April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
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In a dramatic assault launched from the Palestinian enclave of Gaza on Saturday, Hamas militants stormed into Israeli towns, killing more than 600 people and escaping with dozens of hostages, in the deadliest day for Israel since the 1973 war.
"These are war crimes, blatant documented war crimes," said Israeli U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan ahead of the closed-door meeting of the 15-member Security Council meeting.
"The era of reasoning with these savages is over," he told reporters. "Now is the time to obliterate Hamas terror infrastructure, to completely erase it, so that such horrors are never committed again."
Israel pounded Gaza on Sunday, killing hundreds of people in retaliation. Erdan appealed for the international community to fully support Israel and condemn the actions of Hamas.
Home to some 2 million people, the Gaza Strip has been run by Hamas since 2007. Its economy has long been choked by a blockade imposed by Israel with Egypt's help.
"Israel keeps saying: The blockade and repeated assaults on Gaza are to destroy Hamas military capabilities and ensure security. ... Its blockade and assaults accomplished neither," Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour told reporters ahead of the Security Council meeting.
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