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Comments:  139
Last update - 13:06 09/01/2009
UN: IDF officers admitted there was no gunfire from Gaza school which was shelled
By Barak Ravid and Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: UN, Israel News, UNRWA, Gaza

The United Nations is claiming Israeli military officers have admitted there was no Palestinian gunfire emanating from inside an UNRWA school in Gaza which was shelled by an IDF tank.

Dozens of Palestinians were killed in the shelling.

In addition, UNRWA Thursday announced it will cease activities in the Strip due to the death of an UNRWA staffer in an IDF shelling during Thursday morning's humanitarian hiatus.
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UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness told Haaretz yesterday that the army had conceded wrongdoing.

"In briefings senior [Israel Defense Forces] officers conducted for foreign diplomats, they admitted the shelling to which IDF forces in Jabalya were responding did not originate from the school," Gunness said. "The IDF admitted in that briefing that the attack on the UN site was unintentional."

He noted that all the footage released by the IDF of militants firing from inside the school was from 2007 and not from the incident itself.

"There are no up-to-date photos," Gunness said. "In 2007, we abandoned the site and only then did the militants take it over."

The UNRWA is now demanding an objective investigation into whether the school shelling constituted a violation of international humanitarian law, and if so, that those responsible stand trial.

The UN reported Thursday that a Palestinian working for the UNRWA was killed by an IDF tank shell while driving an aid truck at the Erez border crossing. The organization claims the UN truck was well-marked and the incident took place during the humanitarian hiatus slated to allow Gaza residents to acquire supplies
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  1.   Despite UNClaims There Is No Breach of International Law 02:58  |  Robert 09/01/09
  2.   Was the site still abandoned in 2009? 03:11  |  Mordechai 09/01/09
  3.   UNRWA lies 03:12  |  Gili 09/01/09
  4.   Without accountability war crimes will remain unpunished 03:33  |  Ben Alofs 09/01/09
  5.   Hamas Violation of Military Law 03:42  |  David M. 09/01/09
  6.   IDF lies again 03:58  |  Steve Beikirch 09/01/09
  7.   More indiscriminate killing by IDF 04:08  |  David 09/01/09
  8.   Uh oh... 04:25  |  talknic 09/01/09
  9.   #1 - IDF officers admitted Gaza school shelling was by mistake 04:41  |  Iamashamed 09/01/09
  10.   what does that make of the champions ? 04:50  |  Truth 09/01/09
  11.   Mordechai - Wait another minute: 04:52  |  Fritz 09/01/09
  12.   Well, there`s a first time for everything.... 05:31  |  Silvienne 09/01/09
  13.   so another war to prevent civilian deaths predictably 05:55  |  newageblues 09/01/09
  14.   Proof Positive 06:08  |  Yousef 09/01/09
  15.   AP Supports Israel`s Version of Events 06:49  |  MichaelF 09/01/09
  16.   Deja vu situation 06:55  |  Caroline 09/01/09
  17.   It`s a mistake; why no concern about deliberate targeting? 07:16  |  Bob 09/01/09
  18.   #2 Silvienne, they still haven`t owned up in public 07:17  |  Johnboy 09/01/09
  19.   UN official "accidently" vindicates Israel 07:38  |  HEB 5133 09/01/09
  20.   What about the original attempt to cover up the crime? 08:55  |  Maureen Ann 09/01/09
  21.   So, the initial IDF cover story was a complete lie? 09:07  |  Clickfool 09/01/09
  22.   So what was with all the lying hasbara? 10:01  |  Michael 09/01/09
  23.   Now that they admitted the error 10:03  |  Galilee Hero 09/01/09
  24.   774 murdered by mistake!!!? 10:16  |  Gustaf 09/01/09
  25.   Justice? 10:19  |  Christos 09/01/09
  26.   # 2 : Silvienne, it is not the first time 10:21  |  tristan 09/01/09
  27.   Silvienne - # 2 10:34  |  Michael D. 09/01/09
  28.   So ??? 10:35  |  Sam Soul 09/01/09
  29.   Where`s Chopria and PETER and BEN defending the righteous IDF? 10:36  |  Tupac 09/01/09
  30.   ANOTHER FAILURE... 2006-2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 10:37  |  DAVID 09/01/09
  31.   UN Bulls........t 10:49  |  Jane 09/01/09
  32.   To Tristan 11:00  |  Can 09/01/09
  33.   Regev assured UK it was a justified attack 11:16  |  Roo 09/01/09
  34.   Garbage in, garbage out!! 11:17  |  Dr. Jack 09/01/09
  35.   Jane - yes, let`s wait and see 12:03  |  Silvie 09/01/09
  36.   IDF Gaza 12:04  |  Jack Sjein 09/01/09
  37.   More "mistakes" 12:19  |  Lars Hansen 09/01/09
  38.   Whoops 12:20  |  welshman 09/01/09
  39.   As of today, Engl. IDF site has this much to say on the mistake: 12:32  |  zmogus 09/01/09
  40.   UNRWA 12:44  |  Df 09/01/09
  41.   UNWRA created their own mess 13:16  |  Donna 09/01/09
  42.   compensation? 13:29  |  ptr 09/01/09
  43.   But who will believe it? 13:33  |  Mark Lincoln 09/01/09
  44.   Jane, Earth to Jane, come in Jane 13:35  |  Mark Lincoln 09/01/09
  45.   Even if there was gunfire 13:36  |  T 09/01/09
  46.   So the school... 13:43  |  nina 09/01/09
  47.   Tupac, the UN was proven to be corrupted and dishonest 13:50  |  Simon 09/01/09
  48.   # 6 Galilee. Yes, they have to 14:08  |  Charles 09/01/09
  49.   Sad mistake ! 14:12  |  Johann 09/01/09
  50.   Fools run unimpeded on this forum 14:14  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 09/01/09
  51.   Livni, Barak, Olmert and Askenazi 14:27  |  Chris Linthwaite 09/01/09
  52.   #7 - Uninformed Gustaf 14:58  |  MichaelF 09/01/09
  53.   MISTAKE? 15:03  |  Emilio 09/01/09
  54.   why Yousef 4? 15:13  |  malcom 09/01/09
  55.   That`s Strange Because Al-Jazeera... 15:18  |  Yosemite 09/01/09
  56.   UN propaganda? Israel always seems to admit mistakes that aren`t 15:19  |  Ari 09/01/09
  57.   UN reliability 15:30  |  La Cumparsita 09/01/09
  58.   Propagand by UN.How do we know this claim is true? 15:38  |  S Judah 09/01/09
  59.   IDF mistakes, 770 dead, 3700 injured 15:57  |  Tarek 09/01/09
  60.   Tragic, but mistakes occur 16:10  |  smit 09/01/09
  61.   Who are those "officers"? 16:13  |  Gene 09/01/09
  62.   Gaza 16:18  |  Adel 09/01/09
  63.   who believes the UN ? 16:39  |  Abert Lificoté 09/01/09
  64.   And Palestinians admit that there was gunfire 16:43  |  Gee 09/01/09
  65.   Its hard to feel sorry 16:47  |  PAuline 09/01/09
  66.   to Mark Lincoln #14 16:50  |  Ilya 09/01/09
  67.   Innocent civilians 17:02  |  Peter 09/01/09
  68.   UN claim without merit 17:08  |  Ofer 09/01/09
  69.   I`m sorry Mark, but I missed the spot where the UN obtained its 17:21  |  Jacob Blues 09/01/09
  70.   UN - Lying, Yet Again 17:52  |  Erich 09/01/09
  71.   #2 Silvienne 17:54  |  Moshe 09/01/09
  72.   Shooting from school in 2007 all right? 17:58  |  Ester 09/01/09
  73.   UN 17:58  |  israeli 09/01/09
  74.   its what Israel does best 17:59  |  gearoid 09/01/09
  75.   to Christos#8 18:05  |  Ilya 09/01/09
  76.   UN driver - the real deal 18:05  |  tuvia 09/01/09
  77.   Israeli War criminals 18:22  |  John Levy 09/01/09
  78.   Working for hamas agenda 18:34  |  Francisco 09/01/09
  79.   Will anybody in the Hamas also stand trial? 18:41  |  AA 09/01/09
  80.   re 12 not wanting to speak for ben, peter, chopria but 19:09  |  alan the real one 09/01/09
  81.   IDF officers admitted there was no gunfire from Gaza school which 19:13  |  annette 09/01/09
  82.   News Flash-- Israel is always wrong! 19:15  |  Jordan 09/01/09
  83.   Bigger Picture 19:19  |  Dan 09/01/09
  84.   Mistake? 19:21  |  Rob 09/01/09
  85.   For what it`s worth 19:27  |  Chris Linthwaite 09/01/09
  86.   IDF officers admitted there was no gunfire from Gaza school which 19:36  |  Sarah 09/01/09
  87.   Unnamed IDF officer 19:59  |  Gee 09/01/09
  88.   War crimes 20:17  |  Jordan 09/01/09
  89.   War Crimes 20:20  |  Allan 09/01/09
  90.   Humble enough to admit it 20:26  |  Karen K 09/01/09
  91.   To # 20- Maureen Ann 20:30  |  Johann 09/01/09
  92.   Re: Bigger picture 20:40  |  Harry 09/01/09
  93.   #71, Moshe, this isn`t about Tokyo or Dresden.... 20:55  |  Silvienne 09/01/09
  94.   Unintentional? 20:56  |  hollingsworth 09/01/09
  95.   Chris Linthwaite #85 21:06  |  Gee 09/01/09
  96.   Civilized people Sarah? 21:26  |  Mark Lincoln 09/01/09
  97.   In reply to 71: talk about heartless 21:40  |  Jordan 09/01/09
  98.   IT WAS NOT A MISTAKE... IT WAS A WAR CRIME 21:41  |  Russel 09/01/09
  99.   #41 Donna 01:40  |  Boycott 10/01/09
  100.   Not according to the New York Times 01:42  |  Bob 10/01/09
  101.   #72 That is a non-sequitor, Ester 01:53  |  Johnboy 10/01/09
  102.   Propaganda, lies and video tape 02:09  |  Sean 10/01/09
  103.   School Days 02:12  |  Shelly 10/01/09
  104.   Jenin 02:21  |  Rab Burns 10/01/09
  105.   Simon: I never said UN is perfect just like IDF, US Military 04:15  |  Tupac 10/01/09
  106.   #97 Jordan 04:16  |  Moshe 10/01/09
  107.   Remember Jenin? - Yes I do Rab 06:23  |  Mark Lincoln 10/01/09
  108.   War Crime Again? 07:33  |  Jim 10/01/09
  109.   war of photos 12:12  |  Karmel 10/01/09
  110.   Sorry 13:02  |  Brendan 10/01/09
  111.   this is so TYPICAL of idf "damage control" 13:09  |  eric 10/01/09
  112.   Crimes against humanity have no excuses... 13:11  |  ClearCut 10/01/09
  113.   UN Liars 13:11  |  Jeff 10/01/09
  114.   Am Israel Chai 13:14  |  secondary explosions 10/01/09
  115.   Now the rest of the world 13:22  |  Dav 10/01/09
  116.   how many civilians did hamas kill? and israel? 13:27  |  ClearCut 10/01/09
  117.   Propaganda 14:00  |  Facundo 10/01/09
  118.   "Shelling did not originate from School" but... 16:49  |  Rob 10/01/09
  119.   The full story is NOT out yet, The UN account cannot be trusted 19:42  |  Doc Holliday 10/01/09
  120.   A possible lie? IMPORTANT 19:54  |  onimo 10/01/09
  121.   Hamas is the true source to blame 20:04  |  George 10/01/09
  122.   #116 Biascut (2nd try) 20:25  |  Moshe 10/01/09
  123.   Terrorismo, no 20:33  |  Jose Luis 10/01/09
  124.   HAARETZ: If you publish something, you have to give NAMES! 20:49  |  Vittorio 10/01/09
  125.   77 John Levy 20:52  |  Jose Marcio 10/01/09
  126.   UN:"IDF admits"? 20:52  |  Arie 10/01/09
  127.   #85 Chris Linthwaite 20:53  |  Moshe 10/01/09
  128.   A war crime for sure 21:07  |  American 10/01/09
  129.   UN Ambulances used to transport Hamas fighters 21:21  |  Lynn 10/01/09
  130.   Accidental shooting and intentional coverup 21:40  |  meir gush etzion 10/01/09
  131.   Investigate it all 22:03  |  QC 10/01/09
  132.   The IDF shelling was a mistake... 23:41  |  Romy 10/01/09
  133.   To Romy 03:21  |  American 2 11/01/09
  134.   Israel is a state of terrorism 09:09  |  Canadian 11/01/09
  135.   Cognitive dissonance or plain ignorance 09:38  |  Brahim 11/01/09
  136.   hamas 14:52  |  amoori 11/01/09
  137.   IDF bombing of UN School 16:46  |  Julie G. Lira 28/01/09
  138.   Calling UN liars? 16:52  |  Julie G.L. 28/01/09
  139.   This is a War Crime 22:49  |  Patrick M. Griffin 06/02/09
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