RSS Feeds and Podcasts
1 March 2008
TBD
Secretary-General Condemns Gaza Violence
01/03/2008
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on all parties in the ongoing Gaza crisis to rededicate themselves to the peace process.
Speaking during a meeting of the Security Council on Saturday night, Mr. Ban observed there has been a "deeply alarming escalation of violence" in Gaza and southern Israel since last Wednesday.
The Secretary-General said more than 100 rockets had been fired from Gaza into southern Israel over this period. Meanwhile, he added, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had undertaken air and land attacks in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of up to 90 Palestinians.
Mr. Ban urged all parties to "step back from the brink of even deeper and more deadly clashes."
"In light of these deeply disturbing developments, I'd like to make the following clear: I condemn Palestinian rocket attacks and call for the immediate cessation of such acts of terrorism, which serve no purpose, endangering Israeli civilians and bring misery to the Palestinian people. I call for an end to these attacks. While recognizing Israel's right to defend itself, I condemn the disproportionate and excessive use of force that has killed and injured so many civilians, including children. I call on Israel to cease such attacks."
Mr. Ban said Israel must fully comply with international humanitarian law and exercise the utmost restraint. And he stated that incidents in which civilians had been killed or injured must be investigated.
Speaking during a meeting of the Security Council on Saturday night, Mr. Ban observed there has been a "deeply alarming escalation of violence" in Gaza and southern Israel since last Wednesday.
The Secretary-General said more than 100 rockets had been fired from Gaza into southern Israel over this period. Meanwhile, he added, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had undertaken air and land attacks in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of up to 90 Palestinians.
Mr. Ban urged all parties to "step back from the brink of even deeper and more deadly clashes."
"In light of these deeply disturbing developments, I'd like to make the following clear: I condemn Palestinian rocket attacks and call for the immediate cessation of such acts of terrorism, which serve no purpose, endangering Israeli civilians and bring misery to the Palestinian people. I call for an end to these attacks. While recognizing Israel's right to defend itself, I condemn the disproportionate and excessive use of force that has killed and injured so many civilians, including children. I call on Israel to cease such attacks."
Mr. Ban said Israel must fully comply with international humanitarian law and exercise the utmost restraint. And he stated that incidents in which civilians had been killed or injured must be investigated.
Other News
03/03/2008
UN Helicopter Crashes in Nepal
03/03/2008