Middle East: Ban Ki-moon ‘deeply concerned’ at rising violence, loss of life

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed deep concern at the recent escalation of violence in southern Israel and Gaza, including the loss of civilian life resulting from rocket fire by Hamas and air strikes by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).

“These events underscore the urgent need for a calming of violence, and must not be allowed to deter the continuation of the political process,” Mr. Ban said in a statement issued yesterday by his spokesperson.

Condemning rocket fire against Israel by Hamas, which intensified Wednesday and killed an Israeli civilian in Sderot, the Secretary-General called on Hamas and other militant groups to “cease such acts of terrorism.”

He also condemned the killing of four Palestinian children, including an infant, in Gaza in IDF strikes.

Mr. Ban called on Israel to “exercise maximum restraint and ensure respect for international humanitarian law so as not to endanger civilians,” the statement added.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) confirmed that the Palestinian infant was a six-month-old baby who was killed in the compound of a school run by the agency, near to where yesterday’s Israeli military strike occurred.

The infant was the grandchild of the school guard, who lives on site and is tasked with keeping that school free from militants.

UNRWA said that in addition to condemning the killing of the baby, it deplored any violence that placed its schools and other facilities at risk.