Mideast situation/Lebanon/Rafah refugee camp - Spokesman's Office (excerpts)

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
ASSOCIATE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, January 20, 2004

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UN PEACEKEEPERS INVESTIGATE INCIDENT IN SOUTHERN LEBANON

The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, continues to investigate the serious incident that took place yesterday afternoon on the Blue Line, during which an Israeli soldier was killed.
In further developments today, the UN force reports that the Israeli Defence Forces have carried out air raids into South Lebanon, apparently targeting Hizbollah positions. UNFIL continues to monitor this situation closely.

ISRAELI FORCES DESTROY 36 BUILDINGS IN PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CAMP

The UN Refugee Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reports that during an operation which began in the early hours of this morning, Israeli armored vehicles and bulldozers destroyed 36 buildings. These housed some 81 families, or approximately 400 people.
Throughout the operation there were exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters. Israeli soldiers took up sniper positions on the roofs of homes and heavy machine gun fire was directed at houses in the area from the armoured vehicles.
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Not including today’s operation, 56 buildings in the Rafah camp in Gaza had already been destroyed in January.
UNRWA Commissioner General Peter Hansen has completed official visits to Japan, China and South Korea to raise financial and political support for the work of the Agency. All three countries expressed support for the agency and acknowledged the difficult conditions in which it operates.

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Mideast situation/Lebanon/Rafah refugee camp – Spokesman’s Office (excerpts)