Gaza city: The Palestinian National Council president on Saturday urged the international community to take immediate action to deploy international forces in the Gaza Strip to protect Palestinian civilians.

According to Anadolu Agency, in a statement following an Israeli massacre against a Palestinian family, Rawhi Fattouh said the Israeli army on Friday targeted a civilian vehicle carrying 11 people in Gaza City's Al-Zaytoun neighborhood without warning after it crossed the so-called 'yellow line.'

He stated that the massacre 'is part of Israel's ongoing policy of killing and destruction,' describing it as 'a crime and a reflection of the systematic policy the occupation follows against the Palestinian people.' Fattouh emphasized that this act is not isolated but part of a continuous pattern of violence, highlighting the international community's inaction in holding the perpetrators accountable.

Fattouh held the Israeli government 'fully responsible for this war crime against humanity' and urged the international community to 'take immediate measures to deploy international forces to provide protection to the Palestinian people.' He also called on world powers and the US administration to ensure that the ceasefire holds and to provide Palestinians with essential resources such as food, shelter, and medical care, aligning with principles of justice and human rights.

He criticized Israel's justification for targeting the vehicle, claiming it neared the 'yellow line,' as 'a grave violation of international humanitarian law' and further evidence of Israel's 'disregard for human values and international conventions that prohibit attacks on civilians.' The 'yellow line' serves as an unofficial demarcation separating areas where Israeli forces are stationed from those accessible to Palestinians within the Gaza Strip.

A ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, brokered through regional and international mediation and implemented on October 10, stipulates a partial Israeli withdrawal from several areas in Gaza to new positions within the enclave known as the 'yellow line.' Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of nearly 68,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, rendering the area largely uninhabitable.