Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called today on UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon to form an international committee to monitor and investigate crimes and violations committed against the Palestinian people, including the burning and killing of Palestinian teenager Tariq Abu Khdeir on June 2nd at the hands of Israeli settlers, according to WAFA. During a meeting with UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry, in Ramallah, Abbas gave Serry an urgent letter to deliver to Ki-Moon. Abbas said, "15-year-old Mohammad Abu Khadeir was burnt alive, 16 Palestinians, including children and women were killed during the past two weeks, aside from the ongoing kidnapping attempts and assaults against children," noting to the case of Mohammad Abu Khdeir's cousin, Tareq Abu Khdeir, who was severely beaten up by Israeli police. "We all saw through the media the face of Tariq Abu Khdeir distorted with injuries by criminal settlers' groups that must be considered illegal and illegitimate organizations," stressed Abbas. "I have requested an international protection for the Palestinian people, giving the Israeli authorities refusal to prosecute these settler's groups, stressing the rise in settlers' attacks against Palestinians, which have increased by 41% since the first half of 2014. He said that these groups must be treated and deemed as terrorist groups if the Israeli government actually wants peace. "We are preparing for a set of steps to deter the Israeli aggression and curb settlers' crimes and the ongoing attacks against our people in the besieged Gaza strip," stressed Abbas. "There are actions that we must take and we will take in the very near future as it is our duty to provide protection to our people, added Abbas. Abbas said, "We say to those who fear courts that you must refrain from committing crimes; if you do not want to be prosecuted, you should not commit crimes that could drag you to all types of courts."
