UN secretary general "appalled" by Israeli attacks
Palestinians discover true level of destruction caused by Israel's three week campaign on the Gaza Strip
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Tuesday, 20, Jan 2009 05:39
The United Nations (UN) secretary general Ban Ki-moon has condemned the Israeli shelling of the UN headquarters in Gaza after travelling to the region.
During his visit to the Gaza Strip Mr Ban said those responsible for the attack should be held responsible and demanded an investigation.
As well as travelling through Gaza on Tuesday, the UN chief visited the Israeli town of Sderot, one of the main targets for the rockets fired by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Mr Ban described the rocket fire as a violation of basic humanitarian law, but also called for the end of Israel's blockade of the Gaza territory, suggesting its continuance would only fuel Palestinians sense of desperation.
Talking to reporters during his visit to Gaza, Mr Ban said he was "appalled" at the attacks on the UN compound.
"I have protested many times. I am today protesting again in the strongest terms. I have asked [for a] full investigation and [to] make those responsible people accountable," he said.
Earlier today Palestinians began returning to their homes to discover the true scale of destruction caused by Israel's three week campaign on Gaza.
The fragile ceasefires declared over the weekend appeared to have held again during Monday night as Israeli troops continued to withdraw from key points in Gaza towards the border.
The UN, however, warned the cost of rebuilding the Palestinian territory after the conflict may reach billions of dollars.
Tens of thousands of people are said to have been left homeless with almost half a million currently suffering from a lack of running water. Estimates suggest at least 1,300 Palestinians died in the 22 day conflict launched by Israel last month, with over 5,000 more injured.
During the weekend, Israel declared a ceasefire claiming it had met its military objectives, followed a day later by the Palestinian militant groups Hamas which declared a seven-day truce of their own, allowing Israeli soldiers to pull out from the region.
On Monday the official Israeli army radio quoted unnamed officials as suggesting the troops will have pulled out by the time Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th president of the United States later today.