DUBAI (AlArabiya.net, Agencies)
The United Nations on Wednesday denied Israeli army allegations that militants were inside a school in Gaza that was hit the previous day by an Israeli strike, killing at least 42 people.
The Israeli army said that its investigation into the deadliest strike, on a school in Jabaliya where hundreds of people were taking refuge, found that militants had fired at Israeli forces from within the school and that Hamas "terror operatives" were among those killed.
The U.N. denied Israeli army claims that militants were in the U.N.-run schools "Following an initial investigation, we are 99.9 percent sure that there were no militants or militant activities in the school and the school compound," Christopher Gunness, spokesman for the U.N. refugee agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, told AFP.
"We are calling for an independent investigation to establish the facts," he said. "If the rules of war had been broken those found guilty must be brought to justice."
Israeli strikes in Gaza on Tuesday hit near three U.N.-run schools that killed at least 48 people, prompting calls for an investigation from the U.N. and escalating calls for an immediate ceasefire.
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply dismayed" by the strikes on the schools and called them "totally unacceptable." |
" Following an initial investigation, we are 99.9 percent sure that there were no militants or militant activities in the school and the school compound " Christopher Gunness, UNRWA Israel accused Hamas of using civilians as "human shields" and said troops had been returning mortar fire from the school.
An aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a bitter foe of Hamas, said the PM had ordered officials to look into taking Israel to international courts over the incident.
The school killings could intensify pressure on Israel for a ceasefire. During Israel's 2006 war against Hezbollah, the deaths of 28 unarmed Lebanese in shelling at the village of Qana intensified world pressure on Israel to negotiate a truce.
The deaths in the school prompted U.S president-elect Barack Obama to break his silence on the Gaza offensive and to say the loss of life among civilians was "a source of deep concern" for him.
Since Israel unleashed its Operation Cast Lead against Hamas in Gaza on Dec. 27, at least 666 Palestinians have been killed, including 215 children, and more than 2,950 wounded, according to Gaza medics. |
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Worldwide protests Protests in Indonesia on Wednesday Worldwide protests against Israel continued Wednesday as countries stepped up their condemnation of the war on Gaza.
Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri called on Muslims to attack Israeli and Western targets in revenge for the offensive while members of a radical Islamist group demonstrated in Jakarta, calling for Egypt to open its borders to “holy warriors.”
In Sudan, protesters have called for attacks on Americans and other foreigners living in Khartoum during rallies against the Gaza offensive, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.
Venezuela expelled Israel’s ambassador Tuesday a day after Mauritania withdrew its ambassador to Israel. |
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Denmark clinic bombing Palestinian families from Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip take shelter at a school run by the Denmark's foreign ministry summoned Israel's ambassador to Copenhagen Tuesday for an explanation of the bombing of three mobile medical clinics run by a Danish charity in Gaza.
The Folkekirkens Noedhjaelp (DanChurchAid) clinics were bombarded on Monday night despite being clearly marked, said the organization’s secretary general Henrik Stubkjaer in a statement.
He said he was "deeply shocked" by the Israeli military action which "is aiming directly at humanitarian targets and making all humanitarian work impossible."
The statement described the attacks as a "breach of the Geneva Convention."
Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said he was "convinced" that the destruction of humanitarian equipment "was not intentional." |
