SECRETARY-GENERAL DEPLORES HAMAS ATTACK INSIDE ISRAEL, DESTRUCTION OF PALESTINIAN HOUSES IN GAZA BY ISRAELI DEFENCE FORCE

SECRETARY-GENERAL DEPLORES HAMAS ATTACK INSIDE ISRAEL, DESTRUCTION

OF PALESTINIAN HOUSES IN GAZA BY ISRAELI DEFENCE FORCE

Calls on Parties Not to Be Deterred from Efforts to Resume Security Cooperation

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General very much regrets that, after a period during which the security situation had begun to stabilize, there was a new attack on 9 January by Hamas inside Israel.  The Secretary-General calls on the parties not to be deterred by this act of violence, which he deplores, from continuing efforts to resume security cooperation and implement the Tenet Plan and Mitchell recommendations.

At the same time, the Secretary-General deplores the most recent action by the Israeli Defence Force in the Gaza Strip where dozens of Palestinian houses, as well the air strip, have been destroyed.  Such collective punishment is in violation of the Geneva Conventions.

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