UN 'shocked' by Gaza destruction
The UN's humanitarian chief has told the BBC the situation in Gaza
after a three-week Israeli offensive against Hamas was worse than he
anticipated.
Sir John Holmes, who visited Gaza on Thursday, said he was shocked by "the
systematic nature of the destruction".
He said that the territory's economic activity had been set back by years.
Meanwhile, Israeli PM Ehud Olmert is reported to have placed his
justice minister in charge of defending Israel against any accusations
of war crimes.
Daniel Friedman will lead an inter-ministerial team to co-ordinate a
legal defence for Israeli civilians and the military, a government
source was quoted by AFP as saying.
Richard Falk - the UN special rapporteur for human
rights in the Palestinian territories - has said there was "a prima
facie case" that Israel gravely breached the Geneva Conventions during
its 22-day campaign.
Israel responded by saying that Mr Falk's "bias against Israel was well known".
Future of Gaza
Mr Holmes, the top UN official responsible for emergency relief and
humanitarian affairs, said the scale of destruction would have
"disturbing" repercussions for the people of Gaza.
In an interview with the BBC's Today Programme, he described an
industrial area where every building within a square kilometre had been
levelled, by bulldozers and shells.
He told of broken pipes pumping out raw sewage onto the streets.
"I'm sure the Israelis would say that's because there were people there
firing shells and rockets from there, or perhaps manufacturing them.
"But the nature of that destruction means that any kind
of private economic activity in Gaza is set back by years or decades,"
he said.
"That's very disturbing for the future of Gaza, for the
future of the people of Gaza, who are forced to fall back on the public
sector and indeed on Hamas, who control the public sector."
Israel said it launched its offensive to stop cross-border rocket attacks by
militants in Gaza against its civilians.
The intense fighting ended on Sunday, with both sides declaring a ceasefire.
Palestinian medical officials said about 1,300 Palestinians were killed
and thousands more were injured. Thirteen Israelis died during the
conflict.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7846625.stm
Published: 2009/01/23 10:31:53 GMT
© BBC MMIX
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