Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, has sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and to the UN Security Council, demanding that they condemn the rocket fire from Gaza at southern Israel.
“Israeli residents need to hear a loud and clear condemnation,” Prosor wrote in the letter, the contents of which were published by Channel 10 News on Friday.
Prosor said the constant firing of rockets dramatically affects the daily lives of Israeli citizens.
“Dozens have been treated for shock and thousands of children have had to stay home so we can ensure their safety,” he wrote. “Israel’s citizens are constantly living under threat and danger. No country in the world would put up with constant terrorist attacks.”
Prosor’s letter comes on the heels of an escalation in terror attacks in recent weeks, which culminated in a Grad missile attack on Wednesday evening.
The missiles by Gaza terrorists exploded in the coastal city of Ashdod and the community of Bnei Aish shortly before midnight. All landed in open areas. No one was physically injured, but a number of people suffered from shock and severe anxiety.
The Color Red air raid alert siren sounded in Yavne, Gedera, Ashdod, Rehovot and Nes Tziona — the first time air raid sirens had activated in the latter two cities.
Military sources later said the three missiles were most likely launched from the ruins of the former secular Jewish village of Dugit.
In his letter, Prosor also directly slammed Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, writing, “Israel views Hamas as fully responsible for all attacks from Gaza, where it has is de facto control. While Abbas acts to have the PA join the UN as a member state, the rocket fire clearly demonstrates that he has zero authority in Gaza and that the “Palestinian reconciliation” is nothing but a virtual reality.”
He added that the fact that the air raid sirens were heard further north in the last shooting marks a disturbing trend, whereby the terrorists have advanced their warheads and increased their range.
“This is a direct result of the smuggling of advanced weapons into Gaza,” he wrote. “Preventing smuggling of arms is an integral part of Security Council Resolution 1860, but that fact receives almost no attention from the international community.”
Prosor noted that Israel cannot rely on luck, as was the case this week when no one was physically hurt in the attack.
“We will continue to exercise our right to self defense and we will take all measures necessary to protect our citizens,” he concluded.
