A senior United Nations aid official, who escaped a Friday kidnapping attempt and shooting attack on his car in Gaza, on Saturday called on the Palestinian Authority to track down the assailants.

John Ging, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency in Gaza, also said he would not be driven out by gunmen.

There has been no claim of responsibility for Friday's attack on Ging's armored car, which was hit by 14 bullets. Several shots hit the tinted windows, leaving large spider webs.

	Advertisement

Unidentified gunmen in a car blocked Ging's convoy and attempted to force him out of his armored vehicle, UNRWA spokeswoman Gina Benevento said on Friday.

Palestinian security officials are looking into a possible Al-Qaida link to the attack, said a security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

The official did not provide evidence for such a suspicion, saying only that "we are looking into all possibilities."

Palestinian officials have been worried about Al-Qaida activity in the Palestinian territories ever since Ayman al-Zawahri, the al-Qaida second-in-command, accused Hamas last week of selling out by accepting a power-sharing deal with the Fatah Party of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

Another security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said Islamic extremists are suspected of being behind the attack, although their affiliation has not been determined. The security services are looking into whether the gunmen tried to assassinate Ging.

Last week, Al Jazeera satellite TV broadcast an audio recording of Al-Zawahri criticizing Hamas for agreeing to the unity government.

"Hamas went on a picnic with the American devil and its Saudi agent," al-Zawahri said. It was the strongest criticism of Hamas by Al-Qaida.

Hamas says its violent tactics, which have included dozens of suicide bombings, are aimed strictly at Israel, and that it has no quarrel with the Western world at large.

Israeli and Palestinian officials have warned that Al-Qaida affiliated groups could operate in lawless Gaza, but there has not been any independent confirmation.

Ging said in a telephone interview Saturday that he is concerned about the safety of UN workers in Gaza, but that he and his staff will not leave.

"We will not be driven out by a bunch of gunmen," he said, adding that he has received assurances from Palestinian security officials that the attackers would be tracked down.

The attack on the clearly marked UN convoy marked a watershed, even in lawless Gaza where scores of foreigners have been kidnapped in recent months.

UNRWA provides aid to hundreds of thousands of refugees in Gaza, including food distribution, housing, schools and clinics. UNRWA has about 11,000 staffers in, most of them Palestinians. The mission includes eight foreigners.

Ging has been in Gaza for over a year. He said other foreign staff will not be coming into Gaza until further reevaluation of the situation.

Elaborating on the attack Friday, Benevento said, "When it became clear that the vehicle doors were locked, they opened fire directly on the car, resulting in 11 bullet holes in the vehicle's side."

"It was definitely a kidnapping attempt, but it was not successful," Benevento added.

Ging said he, a driver and a security official were traveling in an armored vehicle when the gunmen jumped out of a white Subaru and opened fire. No one was hurt in attack, he said.

"They tried to force open the car, but our driver extracted himself from that situation, and sped away as the gunmen continued firing," he said. "This is a shocking development. We are still considering how to deal with this."

"The vehicle was clearly marked with the UN insignia and a UN flag," Ging
said.

Abbas' office said in a statement that he had ordered the police "to uncover the criminals who opened fire on the convoy of Mr. John Ging and to bring them to justice."

Benevento said that several of UNRWA's foreign staff in Gaza were away on routine assignments or vacation and would not be immediately recalled for security reasons. UNRWA staff currently in Gaza would continue operations as normal, she said.

"The one million refugees depending on us need our operation, and that's why it's so urgent that security be brought under control. We need law and order here in the Gaza Strip first and foremost," Ging told reporters.

An UNRWA statement quoted its commissioner-general, Karen Koning Abu Zayd, as condemning the "unprecedented attack" on Ging's convoy and urged that those responsible be identified forthwith and brought to justice.

In the past 18 months, more than a dozen foreign journalists and aid workers have been abducted in Gaza, an area plagued by crime, political violence and lawlessness. Most of the kidnappings have been carried out by gunmen seeking favors from the government or trying to settle scores with rivals.

In most cases, victims have been released unharmed within hours.

Earlier Saturday, several dozen journalists staged a protest outside the Palestinian parliament in Gaza City, calling for the release of BBC reporter Alan Johnston who was kidnapped Monday. No group has come forward with ransom demands.

Paul Greeves, a BBC staffer from London, participated in the protest. "Clearly, we are still very concerned," he said. "We still fear for Alan's welfare."

Johnston's kidnapping was somewhat unusual, since most foreigners seized in Gaza are freed after a few hours.