Israel 'Fires on UN Gaza Convoy'

[tekisui]

Source: Al Jazeera

At least one Palestinian has been killed after a UN relief agency convoy came under fire from Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, officials say.

The attack took place on Thursday as the lorries travelled to the Erez crossing to pick up supplies that were to have been allowed in during a three-hour ceasefire.

Thursday's pause in the 13-day Israeli offensive to allow humanitarian aid into the strip was scheduled to last from 1pm (11:00 GMT) to 4pm (14:00 GMT).

The Israeli military said that it was checking reports of the incident.

John Ging, the head of the UN relief agency in Gaza, said that the casualties were Palestinian civilian contractors contracted to bring supplies from the crossing points.

"They were co-ordinating their movements with the Israelis, as they always do, only to find themselves being fired at from the ground troops," he told Al Jazeera.

"It has resulted tragically in the death of one and the injury of two others."

more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/01/2009181119551714.html

[tekisui]

1. UN: Israel kills driver on aid mission to Gaza

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – A U.N. official in the Gaza Strip says Israeli forces have fired on a truck on a U.N. aid mission and killed the driver.

U.N. spokesman Adnan Abu Hasna says the incident took place during a lull declared by Israel to allow humanitarian aid to enter the territory.

He says the U.N. coordinated the delivery with Israel, and the vehicle and was marked with a U.N. flag and insignia when it was shot in northern Gaza.

The Israeli army said it was investigating.

Earlier this week, an Israeli attack near a U.N. school killed more than 30 people. At the time, Israel said it opened fire after militants hiding in the crowd shot mortar shells at Israeli troops.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090108/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

[HeraldSquare212]

2. They just don't want aid to get through. They'll make a show of a three-hour lull

(how humanitarian of them!) but make it clear on the ground that aid should not get through.

[Scurrilous]

3. UN halts Gaza aid shipments, cites Israeli attacks

Deliveries to besieged Strip suspended after IDF tank fire kills one of UN's Palestinian drivers as he went to pick up a shipment. 'We've been coordinating with Israeli forces and yet our staff continues to be hit and killed,' UNRWA spokesman says

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3653071,00.html

<snip>

"The United Nations halted aid deliveries to the besieged Gaza Strip on Thursday, citing Israeli attacks on its staff and installations hours after it said tank fire killed one of its drivers as he went to pick up a shipment.

The United Nations has already demanded an investigation into Israel's shelling of a UN school in Gaza that killed nearly 40 people earlier this week. Israel and residents said militants were operating in the area at the time.

For a second straight day, Israel suspended its Gaza military operation for three hours to allow in humanitarian supplies. Shortly before the pause took effect, however, the UN said one of its aid trucks came under Israeli fire, killing the driver.

UN spokesman Adnan Abu Hasna said the UN coordinated the delivery with Israel, and the vehicle was marked with a UN flag and insignia when it was shot in northern Gaza. The Israeli army said it was investigating.

"The UN is suspending its aid operations in Gaza until we can get safety and security guarantees for our staff," spokesman Chris Gunness said. "We've been coordinating with them (Israeli forces) and yet our staff continues to be hit and killed."

[Howardx]

4. mission accomplished

israel wants to force the UN out of gaza

[Barack_America]

5. And yet with 2 incidents in as many days...

The "it was a mistake" excuse wears thin.

They've made their goal entirely too obvious. The question is, however, does anybody care?

[Barack_America]

6. Make that 3 incidents....

It appears that Israel fired on not one, but two UN convoys.

UN suspends Gaza operations
By Andrew England in Jerusalem
Published: January 8 2009 16:47 | Last updated: January 8 2009 16:47
The United Nations on Thursday suspended all its aid operations in Gaza because of Israeli attacks on its staff and installations.

The move came after a Palestinian driver of a UN truck was killed by Israeli tank fire as he drove towards an Israeli border crossing to pick up humanitarian aid. In a second incident on Thursday a three-vehicle UN convoy, which included two international staff members, came under “direct fire” from Israel forces as it drove into Gaza to collect the body of a colleague killed earlier in the week, said Christopher Gunness, spokesman for the UN Relief and Works Agency.

more:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a4082b68-dda3-11dd-930e-000077b07658.html

Amazing how two similar "mistakes" happened on the same day, no?