{"id":205651,"date":"2004-10-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T19:01:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?p=205651"},"modified":"2019-03-12T19:01:20","modified_gmt":"2019-03-12T19:01:20","slug":"auto-insert-205651","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/auto-insert-205651\/","title":{"rendered":"Situation in the Gaza Strip &#8211; SecGen Spokesman Press Briefing (6 October &#8211; excerpts)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div style=\"text-align:center;padding-top:15px;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">\n<hr height=\"5px\" \/><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:15pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\"><strong>HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN&#39;S NOON BRIEFING<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:center;padding-top:11px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>BY FRED ECKHARD<br \/>\nSPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS<\/p>\n<p>UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:center;padding-top:11px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>Wednesday, October 6, 2004<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;padding-top:11px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&#8230;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:center;padding-top:11px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>U.N. AGENCIES WARN VIOLENCE IS PUSHING PALESTINIANS INTO DEEP CRISIS<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\" style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">\n<li style=\"text-align:left;\"><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">Twelve UN agencies operating in Gaza <\/span><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">have issued a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/unispal.un.org\/pdfs\/6454B8849116084F85256F24006CD2C5.pdf\" style=\"color:#0000ff;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">joint statement<\/a><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">stating that the on-going violence, which comes on top of an already deteriorating humanitarian situation, is pushing the Palestinians into a deep crisis.<br \/>\n&#160; <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">These agencies call on Israel to guarantee unrestricted and secure access to Gaza for humanitarian supplies and relief workers.<br \/>\n&#160; <\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">They note that movement restrictions imposed by the Israeli military have prevented effective delivery of humanitarian aid. <br \/>\n&#160; <\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">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 &#8211; making a total of 65 days so far this year that the United Nations has not been able to enter. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:center;padding-top:11px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>UNRWA SAYS 25 STAFF MEMBERS ARE IN ISRAELI DETENTION<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\" style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">Over the last 24 hours, there have been news reports regarding UNRWA staff &#160;that may have been detained by Israeli authorities for their involvement in terror activities. <br \/>\n&#160; <\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">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.<br \/>\n&#160; <\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">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. <br \/>\n&#160; <\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">Whenever an Agency staff member is detained, by any authority, UNRWA immediately writes requesting information about the detained staff member. <br \/>\n&#160; <\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">In the case of those detained by Israel, UNRWA has rarely received any feedback or information.<br \/>\n&#160; <\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">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.<br \/>\n&#160; <\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">He said the UN staff was held under administrative detention.<br \/>\n&#160; <\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">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.<br \/>\n&#160; <\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">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&#8217;s private conversations.<br \/>\n&#160; <\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">Eckhard said that the thrust of Hansen&#8217;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. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:center;padding-top:11px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>U.N. TEAM ARRIVES IN JERUSALEM TO LOOK INTO ISRAELI ALLEGATIONS<br \/>\n&#160;INVOLVING U.N. AMBULANCE<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\" style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">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. <br \/>\n&#160; <\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">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)&nbsp;to cooperate with them. <br \/>\n&#160; <\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">They will report back to the Secretary-General after their return to New York.<br \/>\n&#160; <\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">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. <br \/>\n&#160; <\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">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. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:center;padding-top:11px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&#160;<strong>U.S. VETOS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON VIOLENCE IN MIDDLE EAST<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\" style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">\n<li style=\"text-align:left;\"><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">The Security Council <\/span><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">yesterday afternoon failed to adopt a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/unispal.un.org\/pdfs\/336BAD4AE477244485256F25004F33AF.pdf\" style=\"color:#0000ff;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">resolution<\/a><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">&nbsp;on the <\/span><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">Middle East, concerning the recent violence in Gaza.<br \/>\n&#160; <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">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. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;padding-top:11px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&#8230;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:center;padding-top:10px;font-size:10pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&#160;Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General<br \/>\nUnited Nations, S-378<br \/>\nNew York, NY 10017<br \/>\nTel. 212-963-7162 &#8211;<strong>&nbsp;press\/media only<\/strong><br \/>\nFax. 212-963-7055<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:center;padding-top:10px;font-size:10pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>All other inquiries to be addressed to (212) 963-4475 or by e-mail to: inquiries@un.org<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN&#39;S NOON BRIEFING BY FRED ECKHARD SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK Wednesday, October 6, 2004 &#8230; U.N. AGENCIES WARN VIOLENCE IS PUSHING PALESTINIANS INTO DEEP CRISIS Twelve UN agencies operating in Gaza have issued a joint statement&nbsp;stating that the on-going violence, which comes on top <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/auto-insert-205651\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[2565],"document-source":[5352],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[2005,1857,2285,2153,1917],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6542],"class_list":["post-205651","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-press-briefing","document-source-secretary-general","document-subject-gaza-strip","document-subject-incidents","document-subject-prisoners-and-detainees","document-subject-refugee-camps","document-subject-situation-in-the-opt-including-jerusalem","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/205651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/205651\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=205651"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=205651"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=205651"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=205651"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=205651"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=205651"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=205651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}