DPRK calls for immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza

Source: Xinhua | 01-16-2009 08:08

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday called on Israel to immediately stop its military actions and withdraw its forces from Gaza.

Speaking at an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly, Sin Son Ho, DPRK's permanent representative to the United Nations, said: "Israel should immediately stop all its military actions and withdraw its aggressive forces from the Gaza Strip."

The DPRK "strongly condemns the recent Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip of Palestine as a wanton violation of the international law and the UN Charter and an open provocation to the Middle East peace process," he said.

"Even at this time, the Israeli armed forces are mercilessly killing the innocent Palestinian civilians and destroying houses, public buildings and schools at random," he said.

"These are no more than acts of state terrorism and crime against humanity," he said. "What cannot be overlooked in this regard is the fact that the Israeli atrocities are backed by the United States of America."

Meanwhile, the ambassador said that the DPRK government "extends full support to and solidarity with the Palestinian people's struggle to expel the Israeli aggressors from their own territory and restore their legitimate rights including the rights to self determination."

"It is the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to recover their occupied territory and build an independent sovereign state, and therefore, it is a just cause for them to fight to achieve their goal," he added.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei