Bolivia ambassador reads out names of Gaza victims at UN meeting
Bolivia ambassador reads out names of Gaza victims at UN meeting
Bolivia apologised to Palestinians for the world failing them, during a UN meeting, and reminded the Security Council it is their duty to protect Gaza.
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"The international community has failed you," Bolivia apologised to the Palestinians [Getty]
Bolivia's representative to the UN Security Council, Sacha Llorenti, began his talk at the emergency session on Tuesday by listing the names of the 61 Palestinians killed in this week's massacre of Gaza protesters by Israel.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians gathered near Gaza's border to protest the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move its embassy to the contested city at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
At least 61 Palestinians were killed and hundreds injured on Monday in the deadliest day in the besieged territory since 2014 war.
At the same time, the White House pushed forward with its inauguration in Jerusalem.
Llorenti reminded the Security Council - of which the US is a member - about their "operative nature", which should go beyond off the minute's silence held by the chamber to remember Monday's victims.
"As a member of the Security Council - and in the presence of my dear brother, the ambassador to Palestine - I wish to ask for his forgiveness, and say how sorry I am to the 6 million Palestinian refugees who have lost their homes and today live in camps"
Read more: The Palestinians killed by Israeli forces during Gaza's embassy day massacre
The opening of the US embassy coincided with the anniversary of the creation of the state of Israel, a day commemorated by Palestinians as al-Nakba, or "the Catastrophe".
"I'm sorry that for 70 years, the promise of a creation of a State of Palestine has not yet been fulfilled. I'm sorry for the more than 50 years of occupation. The international community has failed you," added the Bolivian representative.
He then mentioned that while there are always two sides mentioned when referring to the Israeli-Palestinian divisions, they are not equally to blame, nor is it a conflict.
"It is an occupation - we are talking about an occupying power, and an occupying territory."
The US was slammed by the Bolivian ambassador, saying it has became "part of the problem" not the solution for peace, particularly after the embassy move.
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