The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the “out of control” Israeli government after its seizure of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in Jerusalem, massacre of 28 Palestinians at a school at Deir al-Balah, and attack on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.
The Israeli government has confiscated land on which the UNRWA headquarters—which was previously attacked by Israeli extremists—is located in occupied East Jerusalem, with plans to build 1,440 illegal colonial settlement units on the site.
SEE: Israel seizes Unrwa headquarters’ land in occupied East Jerusalem | Middle East Eye
28 were killed after Israeli forces attacked a school at Deir al-Balah. The attack reportedly killed several children.
SEE: ‘Heads blown up’: Israeli strike on central Gaza school kills 28 | Middle East Eye
Israeli forces also opened fire at United Nations peacekeeping forces at three different positions in Lebanon over the last 24 hours, with two peacekeepers hospitalized with minor injuries, the UN said.
SEE: Israel fires at UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, mission alleges (yahoo.com)
In a statement, CAIR Deputy Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“The Israeli government is completely out of control because President Biden refuses to stop funding and arming their war crimes. By seizing UNWRA’s headquarters for colonization, slaughtering displaced people seeking refuge at a school, and attacking UN peacekeepers, the Israeli government is saying loudly to the world that it has no regard humanity or international law. The Biden administration must leverage U.S. aid to force a ceasefire, and Israeli officials must be held to account for their atrocities.”
He noted that Israel’s campaign has killed 226 UN aid workers.
SEE: Israel’s war on UNRWA: Israeli attacks have killed 226 UN employees (yahoo.com)
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com