HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON BRIEFING
BY FRED ECKHARD
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Wednesday, October 6, 2004
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U.N. AGENCIES WARN VIOLENCE IS PUSHING PALESTINIANS INTO DEEP CRISIS
- Twelve UN agencies operating in Gaza have issued a joint statement stating that the on-going violence, which comes on top of an already deteriorating humanitarian situation, is pushing the Palestinians into a deep crisis.
- These agencies call on Israel to guarantee unrestricted and secure access to Gaza for humanitarian supplies and relief workers.
- They note that movement restrictions imposed by the Israeli military have prevented effective delivery of humanitarian aid.
- The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has not been able to deliver emergency food aid to the north of Gaza. Access into Gaza has been denied to UN international personnel for the last 14 days – making a total of 65 days so far this year that the United Nations has not been able to enter.
UNRWA SAYS 25 STAFF MEMBERS ARE IN ISRAELI DETENTION
- Over the last 24 hours, there have been news reports regarding UNRWA staff that may have been detained by Israeli authorities for their involvement in terror activities.
- In an attempt to clarify the matter, UNRWA said it that it is aware of only one staff member being currently detained in Gaza. This individual has been held for over two years, and he is still awaiting trial.
- In the West Bank, there are 24 UNRWA staff members in Israeli detention, but most are held under administrative detention without a charge or trial.
- Whenever an Agency staff member is detained, by any authority, UNRWA immediately writes requesting information about the detained staff member.
- In the case of those detained by Israel, UNRWA has rarely received any feedback or information.
- Asked whether UNRWA received information on the charges against the staff, the Spokesman said that UNRWA has consistently approached the Israeli authorities to ask what charges are being levelled, and the authorities in return have declined to respond to those requests.
- He said the UN staff was held under administrative detention.
- Asked whether this differs from the UN approach to similar detentions around the world, the Spokesman said the UN procedure is the same worldwide: to go to the authorities immediately to determine the grounds for arrest. What makes the UNRWA case unusual, he said, is the large number of local staff the United Nations has.
- Asked whether the Secretary-General agreed with Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman that it was wrong for UNRWA Commissioner-General Peter Hansen to say Hamas members were on UNRWA staff, the Spokesman declined to comment on the Secretary-General’s private conversations.
- Eckhard said that the thrust of Hansen’s comments was that Hamas sympathizers are very likely represented among the thousands of UNRWA employees. But he added that UN guidelines were clear that staff cannot let political affiliations interfere with their work, and any engagement in militant activity by UNRWA staff would be dealt with very severely. He noted that those rules had governed the Agency during its 54 years on the ground.
U.N. TEAM ARRIVES IN JERUSALEM TO LOOK INTO ISRAELI ALLEGATIONS
INVOLVING U.N. AMBULANCE
- The team dispatched to Israel by the Secretary-General to look into the allegations by Israel that a UN ambulance driver was filmed loading a Kassam rocket into his vehicle arrived in Jerusalem today.
- The team will meet with officials over the next few days and will be asking the Israeli Government and UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to cooperate with them.
- They will report back to the Secretary-General after their return to New York.
- Asked when the team would return, the Spokesman said the team had gone with a dual mission: the investigation into the allegations was added to an agenda that had previously included an evaluation of UN operations in the area.
- The entire assignment may take a couple of weeks, he said, although he expected that the team would try to deal with the allegations as quickly as possible.
U.S. VETOS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON VIOLENCE IN MIDDLE EAST
- The Security Council yesterday afternoon failed to adopt a resolution on the Middle East, concerning the recent violence in Gaza.
- The United States cast a veto against the resolution, which also received 11 votes in favor and three abstentions. The abstentions came from Germany, Romania and the United Kingdom.
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Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162 – press/media only
Fax. 212-963-7055
All other inquiries to be addressed to (212) 963-4475 or by e-mail to: inquiries@un.org
Document Type: Press briefing
Document Sources: Secretary-General
Subject: Gaza Strip, Incidents, Prisoners and detainees, Refugee camps, Situation in the OPT including Jerusalem
Publication Date: 06/10/2004
Document Sources: Secretary-General
Subject: Gaza Strip, Incidents, Prisoners and detainees, Refugee camps, Situation in the OPT including Jerusalem
Publication Date: 06/10/2004