Security Council dismayed at recent Israeli attack that damaged UN offices

After hearing a briefing on the latest developments in the Middle East, members of the Security Council today voiced their concern about the continuing violence in the region, including a recent Israeli attack that had resulted in injury to United Nations personnel and damage to UN property.

“They shared the expressed dismay of the Secretary General [Kofi Annan] for the attack on the Palestinian Authority in Gaza on 10 February 2002 causing the injury of two UN employees and heavy damage to United Nations offices,” the Council President for the month of February, Ambassador Adolfo Aguilar Zinser of Mexico, said in a press statement.

He said that Council members intended to continue to hold regular briefings on the situation in the Middle East.

Today’s closed-door briefing by UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Kieran Prendergast, was a follow-up to a similar session the Council held on 30 January.