The U.N. chief toured Gaza on Tuesday to inspect the devastation
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon is demanding a full investigation into the Israeli shelling of three United Nations buildings in the Gaza Strip. Appearing stern and angry, Ban made the demand during a trip to Gaza on Tuesday. During a recent three-week offensive, Israeli shelling struck the U.N. headquarters in Gaza as well as two U.N. schools.
The attacks heavily damaged the headquarters and killed nearly 40 people near one of the schools.
Thousands of Hamas supporters thronged a square outside the remains of the parliament building in Gaza City, which was heavily damaged in an Israeli airstrike at the outset of the war. Two men hoisted a sign in carefully scripted Hebrew reading, "The resistance will be victorious, Israel has been defeated.
"In a ceremony at the burnt-out U.N. headquarters, Ban asked the crowd to observe a moment of silence for victims of the offensive.
The attacks heavily damaged the headquarters and killed nearly 40 people near one of the schools.
Thousands of Hamas supporters thronged a square outside the remains of the parliament building in Gaza City, which was heavily damaged in an Israeli airstrike at the outset of the war. Two men hoisted a sign in carefully scripted Hebrew reading, "The resistance will be victorious, Israel has been defeated.
"In a ceremony at the burnt-out U.N. headquarters, Ban asked the crowd to observe a moment of silence for victims of the offensive.
"It has been especially troubling and heartbreaking for me as secretary-general that I couldn't end this faster," he said. He warned the truce is fragile, and called on Israel and Hamas to "exercise maximum restraint and nurture the cease-fire."
The U.N. chief personally intervened during the war to try to stop the violence, and said over the weekend that he was sending a team to assess the humanitarian needs so the United Nations could issue an emergency appeal for funds.
Ban is the most senior international official to visit Gaza since Hamas militants seized power in June 2007. The Hamas government is not internationally recognized, and Ban was not scheduled to meet with the group, which is regarded by Western powers and Israel as a terrorist organization.
After visiting Gaza, Ban was scheduled to travel to the rocket-scarred Israeli town of Sderot. A false alarm of an incoming rocket in southern Israel earlier in the day set off fears that the shaky truce hadn't even lasted two full days. The military reported that a mortar was fired later, but apparently fell short of Israeli territory.
Source: AP
Ban is the most senior international official to visit Gaza since Hamas militants seized power in June 2007. The Hamas government is not internationally recognized, and Ban was not scheduled to meet with the group, which is regarded by Western powers and Israel as a terrorist organization.
After visiting Gaza, Ban was scheduled to travel to the rocket-scarred Israeli town of Sderot. A false alarm of an incoming rocket in southern Israel earlier in the day set off fears that the shaky truce hadn't even lasted two full days. The military reported that a mortar was fired later, but apparently fell short of Israeli territory.
Source: AP
Wednesday, 21 January, 2009
I read that he wants a full scale investigation too over the bombing of the UN hqs as well as a UN school building that killed many.
Essential that this be done.
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