NEW YORK, May 21, 2007 (WAFA)- Ambassador Dr. Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, called on, Monday, the international community, including the UN Security Council to bring an end to Israeli deadly attacks against the Palestinian civilian population.

In a letter to the President of the Security Council of the United Nations, the Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, Dr. Mansour said necessary measures must be taken to compel Israel to cease its unlawful actions and abide by all of its obligations under international law.

"Such action has become ever-more urgent at this critical time to stop the bloodshed and destruction and preserve the hopes for peace that have recently arisen but that are quickly diminishing with the refueling of the cycle of violence between the two sides," the Permanent Observer added. "Serious action is needed to help steer this crisis situation away from disaster and instead towards the stability necessary to allow all concerned parties to seize the moment to work together for the achievement of a peaceful and final settlement to this prolonged conflict."

"The overall dire situation that prevails is the cumulative result of all of the illegal policies and practices being carried out by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian civilian population" he added. "The constant and daily violation of their human rights and the suffocation and devastation of their economic and social life has caused a grave humanitarian conditions and the steep decline of the situation throughout the entire Occupied Palestinian Territory. Moreover, all of this has undoubtedly helped to fuel the inter-factional turmoil that has tragically been plaguing the Palestinian people in Gaza at this time."

While serious efforts are being exerted on the Palestinian side to resolve this internal matter and put an immediate end to the fighting between factions via a comprehensive truce, Dr. Mansour said, what is sorely missing at this crucial time are efforts by the international community to address the illegal Israeli attacks against the Palestinian people.

"At least 36 Palestinians, including children, have been killed by the occupying forces, most of them killed by targeted missile strikes from Israeli warplanes," he added. "These attacks, which are being carried out following the decision of the Israeli Government to intensify its military operations, have been launched against Gaza City, Beit Hanoun and the Rafah areas among others, causing extensive human and physical destruction and further terrorizing the Palestinian people."

"Such attacks by the occupying Power constitute grave breaches of the tenets of international law prohibiting military attacks against civilians and the wanton destruction of property," Dr, Mansour said. "Along with the occupying Power's military raids on towns and villages, its daily arrests and detentions, its continuing collective punishment of the Palestinian people, including by means of continuing severe restrictions on movement and closures, and its intensifying colonization campaign throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, these attacks are fueling the already-high tensions, constituting further incitement and provocation, and threaten to completely destabilize the extremely fragile situation on the ground."

(23:05 P) (20:05 GMT)