UN Shocked At Israel's Systematic Brutality

by Thalif Deen

"I think it is particularly appalling that religious observances in connection with death and burial have been grossly violated," Peter Hansen, commissioner general of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) told reporters in a tele-conference from Jerusalem.

"I appeal to everybody to respect basic religious traditions, something that the Israeli population of Judaic tradition can understand very well," he added.

Hansen said he was particularly shocked at the numbers of mass graves and of people dying in houses or bleeding to death without basic medical care. "I spoke to a family in a (refugee) camp where they had to make the burial in their own little backyard," he said.

During the last few days, Israeli military assaults have caused more than 100 deaths and 250 casualties, mostly Palestinians.

Since there is a military curfew in the occupied territories, Israeli authorities have refused to permit funeral processions, fearing that they could transform themselves into violent mobs.

Hansen also pointed out that no fewer than 185 ambulances belonging to UNRWA, the Red Crescent and the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) have been hit by Israeli fire.

"These are not the result of stray bullets by mistake; they can only be by targeting ambulances," Hansen charged. "We also have more than 350 cases of ambulances denied access to rescue, and stories of children being born in ambulances."

So far, Hansen said, four ambulance drivers have been killed, along with three doctors. At the same time, 122 doctors and drivers have been injured.

Last week a UNRWA staff member and operations officer was arrested by the Israelis and put in a detention center under sub-standard conditions.

"He was sitting handcuffed and blindfolded for 56 hours, without food for 52 hours," Hansen said. And when he was offered food after 52 hours, it was only a few crackers.

"These are completely unacceptable conditions for us to work under, and I must appeal very, very strongly to the Israelis to observe a minimum of normal decency -- not to speak of the humanitarian treaties and humanitarian law that they are obliged to obey," he said.

Yesterday, two other officials from the United Nations and the World Bank, also voiced concern about the situation in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Terje Roed-Larsen, UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, and Nigel Roberts, the World Bank's director for the West Bank and Gaza, said in a joint statement that the damage to livelihoods, infrastructure and organizational capacity endangers any serious pursuit of peace and security.

"We are very disturbed by the life-threatening conditions under which the Palestinian civilian population is currently living, as well as the continuous deconstruction of the Palestinian economy over the past 18 months," they said.

The United Nations has also complained of "massive destruction of shelters and infrastructure," including water lines and electricity. In the West Bank, some 2,500 UN-run refugee shelters have been partially or fully destroyed.

Roed-Larsen and Roberts appealed to Israeli military forces "to halt the destruction of water pumps, electricity generators and sub-stations, roads, schools, hospitals and businesses." Since the Palestinian uprising began 18 months ago, total damages in the West Bank and Gaza have been estimated at over $200 million, according to the Palestinian National Authority.

The Israeli military assaults have also destroyed more than $22 million worth of Palestinian infrastructure, including refugee camps, health clinics, broadcasting facilities, schools, laboratories, homes and the Gaza airport -- all of them funded either by the United Nations or the 15-member European Union.

The reconstruction of UN installations alone would cost over $3.8 million. "This figure does not include much more needed for the future social and health needs of a severely traumatized refugee population," Hansen said.

The EU says that $15-$18 million worth of European-financed projects have so far been destroyed by Israeli bombing and military attacks.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels last month reserved the right to seek compensation from Israel for damages caused by its military forces in the West Bank and Gaza.

The Israelis have also blown up the headquarters of the Palestine Broadcasting Corporation, destroying $3 million worth of communications equipment donated by Germany, France, Denmark and other EU nations.

According to published reports, damage at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Bethlehem, which was partly financed by the European Investment Bank, totals more than $700,000.

The heaviest damages have been at the Gaza airport, which has shut because it is inoperable. The closure of the airport is also meant to ground Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who has not been allowed to leave home.