Israel attack disrupting humanitarian aid

NEW YORK − Israel’s United Nations ambassador physically fed a copy of the U.N. charter into a shredder to illustrate what he said was the General Assembly’s disregard for the document as delegates voted to advance Palestinian membership to the world body.

The stunt came just before the General Assembly, in an emergency special session Friday, voted overwhelmingly for a resolution asking the Security Council to make Palestine, which has

U.N. observer status, a full member.

Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab of the United Arab Emirates, representing a group of Arab states, had submitted the draft resolution asking the Security Council to “reconsider and support” the Palestinian Authorities bid for full membership.

Full membership can only be approved by the U.N. Security Council, where the U.S. holds one of five vetoes. Last month the U.S. vetoed a move at the Security Council to make Palestine a

Palestinians flee Rafah after Israeli forces launched a ground and air operation in the eastern part of the southern Gaza city Thursday.

Israeli demonstrators set fire to part of the UNRWA headquarters, the main U.N. agency for aid to Palestinians.