UNITED NATIONS, July 24 (RIA Novosti) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned Israeli attack on one of the UN-run schools in Beit Hanoun, serving as a shelter to Palestinian refugees.
“I am appalled by the news of an attack on an UNRWA school in Northern Gaza where hundreds of people had taken refuge,” Ban Ki-moon said Thursday.
Speaking from Erbil, Ban stated that “many have been killed – including women and children, as well as UN staff. Circumstances are still unclear. I strongly condemn this act.”
UN Secretary General noted that “more than 100,000 Gazans – that’s five percent of the total population – have sought refuge in UNRWA facilities. I once again stress to all sides that they must abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law to respect the sanctity of civilian life, the inviolability of UN premises and to honor their obligations to humanitarian workers.”
Ban is currently on a tour of the region, working for a ceasefire.
“From here I will continue to work with international and regional partners to help reach an agreement to end the fighting as soon as possible for the people of Gaza and Israel,” UN Secretary General concluded.
