Ban chastises Israel for killing Gazan children

JERUSALEM: UN chief Ban Ki-moon has demanded Israel protect the lives of children in Gaza who bore the brunt of last year’s military operations in the Gaza Strip
“Last year was one of the worst in recent memory for children in countries affected by conflict,” the UN chief said, adding he was “deeply alarmed at the suffering of so many children as a result of Israeli military operations in Gaza last year.”
He made his remarks as the United Nations issued a new report highlighting what Ban called “unprecedented challenges for children in conflict zones around the world.”
The UN secretary general said that last year was particularly lethal for children in Gaza, where more than 500 died.
The United Nations has accused the Israeli army of being responsible for strikes on buildings where civilians were sheltering during the conflict.
At the height of the Gaza conflict, some 300,000 displaced Palestinians were sheltering in some 91 UN schools, several of which were hit by Israeli strikes.
“I urge Israel to take concrete and immediate steps, including by reviewing existing policies and practices, to protect and prevent the killing and maiming of children, and to respect the special protections afforded to schools and hospitals,” said Ban.
Last year’s war killed 2,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 73 on the Israeli side, 67 of them soldiers.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Ban’s call “hypocrisy” of the United Nations.