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Comments:  56
UN demand for IDF compensation in Gaza could reach $11m
By Barak Ravid and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents and The Associated Press
Tags: United Nations, Gaza 

A United Nations demand for financial compensation for Israeli strikes on UN facilities in Gaza could come to $11 million, a government official in Jerusalem said Tuesday in response to a UN report that criticized Israel for the attacks. The incidents occurred during Operation Cast Lead in January.

The official said Israel would begin negotiations with the UN on this and other matters in the coming weeks.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accused Israel Tuesday of lying about attacks on the facilities, including one said to have killed more than 40 people outside a school compound, and formally demanded compensation. He said a UN investigation found conclusively that Israel was responsible for attacks on several schools, a health clinic and the organization's Gaza headquarters. Some of the weapons used in these attacks contained white phosphorous, he added.
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The report, which was presented to the Security Council Tuesday, accuses Israel of intentionally firing on the UN institutions and using excessive force.

Israel denies that it intentionally struck the compounds. It also says it was forced to act against militants using these buildings and other civilian facilities for cover. Witnesses said at the time that militants fired from the area near the school that was hit.

"The spirit of the report and its language are tendentious and entirely unbalanced and ignore the facts as they were presented to the commission," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "The commission prefers the positions of Hamas, a murderous terror organization, and by doing so misleads the world public."

The Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported that Israel had waged an intensive campaign to keep the report from coming out.

Ban commended Israel for its cooperation and said there would be no further reports on the matter. He also noted in a letter attached to the report, at the Foreign Ministry's request, that the five-member panel that conducted the investigation cannot make legal findings or consider questions of legal liability, and pointed out that Israeli citizens in the south faced and continue to face indiscriminate rocket attacks by Hamas and other groups.

However, the report itself did not discuss rocket fire or attacks on Israeli civilians. Israeli officials said it also failed to address the intelligence information Israel gave the committee, which they said showed that Hamas was using UN facilities as a base for terror operations.

Israel Defense Forces officials, who called the report biased, said it was too early to tell what its long-term impact would be.

Related articles:
  • Israel to give UN's Gaza probe cold shoulder
  • IDF investigation shows errant mortar hit UN building in Gaza
  • Olmert to Ban: Gunmen fired at IDF troops from UN Gaza compound

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      1.   How to contradict yourself without blushing 04:53  |  Johnboy 06/05/09
      2.   THANK GOD FOR U.N. ONLY ONES WITH GUTS 05:00  |  ALASKA 06/05/09
      3.   Reciprocity 05:12  |  Christopher 06/05/09
      4.   don`t give them a penny 05:13  |  proud jew 06/05/09
      5.   UN is full of crap! 05:21  |  MichaelF 06/05/09
      6.   Proud Jew should be ashamed of himself 06:06  |  Fed up 06/05/09
      7.   Take it from the Money UN Steals from Gazans 06:09  |  Baruch Gold 06/05/09
      8.   Zero Respect for Ban Ki-moon 06:23  |  Haaretz Fan 06/05/09
      9.   Does it take "guts" to bash Israel ? # 2 06:32  |  Fortuna Benmayor 06/05/09
      10.   stop all coordination with the UN 06:52  |  vik 06/05/09
      11.   JOHNBOY how quote partially,then dissemble from there. 07:25  |  PETER SM 06/05/09
      12.   How is it there is never a location on leaflets the IAF 07:31  |  Kris Lazar 06/05/09
      13.   Let`s fire rockets at Israel so that Israel 07:52  |  Maria 06/05/09
      14.   Targeting the buildings Johnboy #1. 08:06  |  Evan of Oz 06/05/09
      15.   UN Reports for Dummies 08:08  |  Dan 06/05/09
      16.   JohnBoy: You have a future with the U.N. 08:14  |  Brad 06/05/09
      17.   Jihadis and the UN, where is the proof that this was intentional? 08:14  |  Dan 06/05/09
      18.   ALASKA: Pal Witnesses Have Discredited that 08:17  |  Brad 06/05/09
      19.   Required - succour from America 08:21  |  JW 06/05/09
      20.   Is the UN going to also demand... 08:32  |  Tzfonit 06/05/09
      21.   Where is the UN compensation for sheltering terrorists ? 08:41  |  IW 06/05/09
      22.   Is it possible to sue the U.N? 08:46  |  L.B 06/05/09
      23.   First pay Israel for all UN incompetence that has cost us lives! 08:46  |  Dan 06/05/09
      24.   #10 No, Evan, not in the slightest. 08:56  |  Johnboy 06/05/09
      25.   UN demand for IDF compensation. 09:13  |  David Nigel Braham 06/05/09
      26.   evan of oz 09:19  |  potobac 06/05/09
      27.   The lack of logic o both sides 09:25  |  Tzfonit 06/05/09
      28.   Thank God for the UN. 09:38  |  Michael 06/05/09
      29.   Right on! Ban Ki-moon , make the Israelis pay 09:44  |  Dutch 06/05/09
      30.   freeze Israel membership in UN 09:46  |  John Boycott 06/05/09
      31.   12 Lazar 10:02  |  franz 06/05/09
      32.   Will the UN pay for Sderot..? Ashkelon..? 10:16  |  Stephen. 06/05/09
      33.   The UN employees many Hamas people even if they do not know it. 10:19  |  JO 06/05/09
      34.   The sound of very unconvincing spinning 11:01  |  Clickfool 06/05/09
      35.   Will Israel pay? 11:17  |  Anne 06/05/09
      36.   #32 Say that again, Stephen? 11:22  |  Johnboy 06/05/09
      37.   To Stephen./..Why UN does not pay for... 11:27  |  Anne 06/05/09
      38.   It would be in the best interests of Israel 11:57  |  Chris Linthwaite 06/05/09
      39.   PETER SM don`t be silly 12:00  |  andy 06/05/09
      40.   Johnboy and Anne. 12:35  |  Stephen. 06/05/09
      41.   #40 Stephen - If the UN feeds the terrorists 13:06  |  Yonatan 06/05/09
      42.   The UN must be forced to pull out of Gaza 13:11  |  Yonatan 06/05/09
      43.   Mr BAN received money to say that 13:16  |  Daniel 06/05/09
      44.   Yonatan, Israel pays UN dues... 14:04  |  BBSNews 06/05/09
      45.   Dan - Lets mind the UN that are also helping Hezbollah rearm.. 14:45  |  Ben 06/05/09
      46.   #40 You appear to be beyond reasoning, Stephen. 14:48  |  Johnboy 06/05/09
      47.   #45.Johnboy and the leetle picture...tiny... 15:29  |  Stephen. 06/05/09
      48.   #44 BBSNews. Hello,... you are back..? 15:39  |  Stephen. 06/05/09
      49.   #46 And round and round Stephen goes.... 16:01  |  Johnboy 06/05/09
      50.   #48.Johnboy, 16:26  |  Stephen. 06/05/09
      51.   Give them the bill for what has been done 17:54  |  Dan 06/05/09
      52.   UN ...what about the Hamas paying for damage in S`derot 22:00  |  MMM 06/05/09
      53.   Haven`t you noticed? We don`t hear bad things about the Hamas. 22:19  |  Maria 06/05/09
      54.   The UN is worthless and lost its impartiality and Roosevelt would 06:17  |  ks 07/05/09
      55.   #47, STEPHEN, stop ranting, your wrong 06:41  |  VIPER 07/05/09
      56.   Denial: a syndrome not restricted to Ahmadinajad 10:19  |  Ishmael Abrahamsson 07/05/09
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