Arab and Islamic countries on Thursday condemned Israel for declaring the Gaza Strip an "enemy entity", and accused Israeli forces of killing Palestinian civilians, detaining parliamentarians, and destroying property.
In speeches to the United Nations Human Rights Council, delegates from the Middle East and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) said the humanitarian situation in the occupied territories had deteriorated and would worsen further if Israel cut fuel and electricity to Gaza's 1.5 million people.
Israel's Ambassador Itzhak Levanon denounced the 47-member state forum for "bashing" the Jewish state, while the US delegation called for a "balanced and forward-looking approach".
The three-hour debate took place as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to try to bridge his differences with Israel over what a US-led Middle East peace conference might achieve later this year.
Israel on Wednesday declared the Gaza Strip an "enemy entity" and said it would reduce its fuel and power supplies in response to rocket attacks by Palestinian militants. Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in June after fighting the forces of Abbas, described the move as a declaration of war.
Mohammad Abu-Koash, Palestinian representative to the UN in Geneva, told the talks: "Israel's recent declaration that Gaza Strip is hostile territory contravenes the Oslo (peace) agreements and mutual agreements in which I was involved."
Israeli raids had caused death and injuries among civilians, and destruction of homes, farms and infrastructure, he said. "Kidnapping of civilians and officials go on unabated and by now there are 11,000 Palestinians in Israeli detention centres, including parliamentarians," the Palestinian envoy said.
Pakistan's ambassador Masood Khan, speaking on behalf of the OIC, decried the "deteriorating humanitarian and human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories". "The Palestinians face military incursions, extra-judicial and targeted assassinations, restrictions on movement and demolition of houses and infrastructure," Khan said.
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