UN chief urges protection as Israel suspends observer force

By The Associated Press February 2, 2019 at 9:15am

JERUSALEM (AP) — The U.N. says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hopes an agreement can be reached to protect Palestinians in the West Bank after Israel said it would suspend the mandate of an international observation mission.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement Saturday that Guterres was “grateful” to the five countries that contributed to conflict prevention and the protection of Palestinians under the Temporary International Presence in Hebron for the past 22 years.

On Friday, the TIPH countries — Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Italy and Turkey — condemned in a joint statement the Israeli government’s unilateral decision not to extend the observer force’s mission in the flashpoint city.

Hundreds of hard-line Jewish settlers guarded by thousands of soldiers live in the heart of Hebron, which has a population of over 200,000 Palestinians.

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Submit a Correction →

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:

WJ Wire

The Associated Press

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter

@AP

Facebook

The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.

Location

New York City