Israel Targets More UN Relief Workers

[Guest Ozymandias]

UN Agency Raps Israeli Army for Razing Food Store

 

 

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A United Nations aid agency protested on Monday at the Israeli army's demolition of its food warehouse in a Palestinian refugee camp during a raid, and called for an investigation and compensation for the loss.

 

The U.N. World Food Program (WFP) said the army blew up the warehouse in the Gaza Strip's Jabalya refugee camp during Sunday's incursion, destroying more than 500 metric tons of food after preventing aid workers from removing it first.

 

The army acknowledged its men struck the warehouse during the overnight raid, in which military engineers also blew up the family homes in nearby Beit Lahiya of three Palestinians believed behind suicide attacks on Israelis.

 

"We are still investigating the circumstances of why the warehouse was hit," an army spokeswoman said.

 

She said Israeli liaison officials in Gaza had not been informed of the warehouse's existence and had therefore not known they should steer clear of the building. The WFP said in a statement the building was clearly marked "with a large WFP flag and three WFP stickers on the doors."

 

"WFP should have been permitted to remove the food. This act has been carried out against basic humanitarian principles," local program director Jean-Luc Siblot said in the statement.

 

"WFP is asking the government of Israel to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident and take full responsibility for the losses incurred by the agency," he said.

 

The statement estimated the WFP's losses at $271,000.

 

At U.N. headquarters in New York, a U.N. spokesman said a concerned U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan supported WFP's call for an investigation.

 

"The secretary-general once again calls on the Israeli authorities to live up to their commitments and obligations to facilitate emergency humanitarian assistance in the occupied Palestinian Authority," chief U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said.

 

Israel regularly demolishes homes of militants blamed for suicide bombings and other attacks in a more than two-year-old Palestinian uprising for independence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It calls this a deterrent policy.

 

Last month, Iain Hook, a British official from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, was killed by Israeli soldiers in a clash in the West Bank city of Jenin. Israel said its troops probably mistook Hook for a gunman.

 

An outraged Annan wrote to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last week urging his government to identify and punish its soldiers responsible for Hook's death.

 

The Israeli army said its troops shot Hook by mistake as they returned fire aimed at them from Palestinian gunmen inside the compound of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

 

U.N. officials say there were no gunmen inside the UNRWA compound. They say Hook bled to death after he was shot by Israeli forces, who then blocked an ambulance from gaining access to the site.

[Guest DrTom]

... "This act has been carried out against basic humanitarian principles," local program director Jean-Luc Siblot said in the statement.

And the persistent Palestinian terrorist attacks and homicide bombings haven't? Come on. Unfortunately, the world can't get off of Arafat's jock long enough to realize that he's a puppet for Islamic terrorist regimes, and that Israel has been remarkably patient throughout this mess.

[Guest Ozymandias]

... "This act has been carried out against basic humanitarian principles," local program director Jean-Luc Siblot said in the statement.

And the persistent Palestinian terrorist attacks and homicide bombings haven't? Come on. Unfortunately, the world can't get off of Arafat's jock long enough to realize that he's a puppet for Islamic terrorist regimes, and that Israel has been remarkably patient throughout this mess.

But the point is, the U.N. is generally on Israel's side and were simply giving free food to refugees before this accident (wink, wink) occured.

 

I think it's nuts to say that the world is "On Arafat's jock". He's been thought of and portrayed as a common terrorist for as long as I can remember.

Pointing out Israel's attrocious behavior isn't siding with the PLO.

[Guest Ozymandias]

I think it's nuts to say that the world is "On Arafat's jock".

That wasn't meant as a pun.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

But the point is, the U.N. is generally on Israel's side

They are? I'm not a big fan of the UN so maybe my judgment is clouded, but tell me some examples of the UN's support for Isreal. All I can remember is Isreal being condemed by the UN.

[Guest NoCalMike]

Why don't Israel and Palestine just not give a shit who wants to live on Gaza. There is a never-ending hatred between these two groups of people and it shows NO SIGNS, EVER of going away. Their kids are raised to hate, it is just sick.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

I don't think Isreali kids are taught to hate Palestians kids. There not the ones who strap fake bombs to 5 year old kids, and have schools that teach anti-semitism.

[Guest Slapnuts00]

Exactly. Israelies just want peace. Palestinian children are taught in schools that Jews are evil, and for example were the true cause of 9/11 so they could blame it on Muslims. Unfortunately other Muslim countries around them that should be inviting them in to live, HATE Israel so instead they refuse citizenship to Palestinians calling them permanent refugees until they reclaim Israel. Pathetic.

That's the whole point, it isn't about a small piece of land in the Gaza, they were offered it a couple years ago and turned it down! They want all of Israel and the Jews out. That's the fact of the matter, and it's sickening that people will still condemn Israel (a Democracy in the same mold as the USA) for it's small errors while ignoring the atrocious human rights violations and terrorist behavior exhibited by the governments and people of every other country in the damn region.

[Zorin Industries 0]

Send in the U.N peace keepers already, they had to do it in the Balkans, this isn't much different.

[Guest Ozymandias]

it's sickening that people will still condemn Israel (a Democracy in the same mold as the USA) for it's small errors while ignoring the atrocious human rights violations and terrorist behavior exhibited by the governments and people of every other country in the damn region.

Well geesh, maybe it's because we aren't allies with those countries, and maybe because they don't pretend to be model Democracies while committing their attrocities. It could also be because we aren't giving THEM billions of dollars a year.

 

As long as Israel is using OUR tax dollars to spend on weapons to murder Palestineans with, I think people are gonna be just a little more concerned with them then with countries we have nothing to do with.

 

BTW- People who only want peace generally don't run tanks through civilians houses nor murder UN workers there on peaceful missions.

[Guest DrTom]

I think it's nuts to say that the world is "On Arafat's jock".

He gets a lot of support and funding from the Arab world (no suprise there), and tacit support from most of Europe, who shrug off everything the PLO does and condemn Israel for retaliating. Even America has not condemned him unequivocally. We should have encouraged Israel to kill him when they had his building surrounded, but we told them to let him off the hook.

 

I'm rather tired of both sides in this continuing mess, but I have no sympathy at all for the Palestinians, who persist in terrorism despite several olive branches. Sooner or later, Israel will have had enough, and when that happens, you might see some real atrocities. I'm surprised it hasn't happened already.

[Guest bob_barron]

Had Israel killed Arafat wouldn't that REALLY fuck up the Middle East?? As much as I hate Arafat, I think killing him would've done more harm then good to Israel in the long run

[Guest DrTom]

Had Israel killed Arafat wouldn't that REALLY fuck up the Middle East??

You mean it's NOT fucked up now??

 

As much as I hate Arafat, I think killing him would've done more harm then good to Israel in the long run

Peace will never happen as long as Arafat is alive. He has gone back on every promise he made, broken every treaty he signed, and flat out walked out of land-for-peace negotiations. The best thing Israel can do is find someone trustworthy among his advisors (not much chance of it, but it's worth a try). If no one like that can be found, they'd be better off killing Arafat and his staff and negotiating with some random educated Palestinian.

[Zorin Industries 0]

Peace will never happen as long as Arafat is alive. He has gone back on every promise he made, broken every treaty he signed, and flat out walked out of land-for-peace negotiations. The best thing Israel can do is find someone trustworthy among his advisors (not much chance of it, but it's worth a try). If no one like that can be found, they'd be better off killing Arafat and his staff and negotiating with some random educated Palestinian.

Let me assure you that if Israel did kill Arafat and his advisors, his replacement would certainley NOT be a well educated Palestinian.