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U.N.
In Firing Line, Death Toll Soars, Arafat Calls On U.S. To Stop Israeli Massacres
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Palestinians
pray over the bodies of martyrs killed by Israeli forces in Khan Yunis. |
OCCUPIED
JERUSALEM, March 8 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - As the death toll in the
bloodiest day since the outbreak of the Palestinian Intifada reached 41, the
United Nations found itself in the line of fire. One U.N. staffer was killed by
Israeli troops and U.N. schools have been severely damaged by attacks on nearby
targets.
Lionel
Brisson, director of operations for the U.N. relief and works agency for
Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), accused the Israeli government Friday, March 8, of
ignoring repeated protests that U.N. personnel were in danger, Agence
France-Presse (AFP) reported.
Brisson
said that since the outbreak of the Palestinian Intifada in September 2000, 22
UNRWA schools have been damaged, some of them hit five or six times.
"Health
and food distribution centers have also been hit, causing a total of almost
100,000 dollars in damage," Brisson said.
"Our
staff wonder in coming to work if their lives are in danger. They could easily
be hit by shrapnel. We have systematically written to the Israeli government
protesting at these very risky attacks near U.N. installations, but it seems
these protests are not really listened to," he added.
UNRWA
medic Kamal Hamadan was shot and fatally wounded by Israeli troops Thursday,
March 7, while riding in a U.N. ambulance outside Tulkarem refugee camp in the
West Bank, the first staffer of the world body to be killed in recent deadly
Israeli incursions into occupied Palestinian territories.
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U.N.
Secretary General Kofi Annan was "saddened and distressed" by
the death of U.N. staffer Hamadan, a 40-year-old father of five. |
U.N.
Secretary General Kofi Annan appealed to the Israeli government to investigate
the killing and discipline those responsible. His spokesman added that Annan was
"saddened and distressed" by the death of Hamadan, a 40-year-old
father of five.
It
is worth mentioning that the Intifada against Israeli occupation has
dramatically escalated since February 28, when Israel launched unprecedented
operations inside West Bank refugee camps.
More
than 150 people, most of them Palestinians, have been killed since then, with 41
on Friday alone.
On
the ground, another Palestinian was killed by the Israeli army Friday in the
northern West Bank town of Tulkarem, raising to seven the number of Palestinians
shot dead in the area, Palestinian hospital sources said.
Adel
Abu Safaka, 30, was killed in clashes in the autonomous town, which has been
occupied by the Israeli army since Thursday morning, the sources said.
His
deaths bring to 41 the number of people killed on Friday and to 1,438 the total
since the beginning of the Palestinian Intifada 17 months ago, including 1,097
Palestinians (mostly women and children) and 318 Israelis.
Meanwhile,
an Israeli soldier was killed in the northern West Bank refugee camp of
Tulkarem, an Israeli military spokesman said.
The
spokesman said First Sergeant Edward Korol was killed during operational
activity in exchanges of fire between the army and resistant Palestinians in
Tulkarem refugee camp.
Korol
was the first soldier killed Friday, the Intifada's bloodiest day, which also
cost the lives of 35 Palestinians and five Israeli settlers.
In
another development, Palestinian Health Minister Ryad Zanun Friday accused the
Israeli army of using a Palestinian ambulance and opening fire from it during a
dawn incursion in the southern Gaza Strip, a statement carried by AFP said.
He
said "several soldiers from the Israeli army forced the driver and the
nurse out of the ambulance and took control of it."
This
took place near Khan Yunis, on the road between Khuzaa and Abassan, during
deadly incursions by Israeli units there, Zanun added.
In
Ramallah, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat called for immediate U.S.
intervention to "stop the massacres" taking place in the Palestinian
territories. The call came in a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of
State Colin Powell Friday, the Palestinian leader's top aide said.
Arafat
demanded "immediate U.S. intervention to stop the massacres taking place in
the West Bank and Gaza Strip", Nabil Abu Rudeina said. He added the two men
also discussed U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni’s return to the region to broker a
ceasefire and current Arab peace efforts.
Abu
Rudeina said Powell called Arafat on the 17-month-old Intifada's bloodiest day.
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