The United Nations continued to rhetorically condemn Israel yesterday. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called an attack on a school, which held displaced Palestinians, “outrageous.”“I condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms. It is outrageous. It is unjustifiable, and it demands accountability and justice,” Ban said, “Nothing is more shameful than attacking sleeping children.”
Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson mirrored Ban’s sentiment, adding, “This is a moment where you really have to say: ‘Enough is enough.’”
The United States also condemned the attacks. The spokeswoman for the U.S. National Security Council Bernadette Meehan highlighted a key issue.
“We are extremely concerned that thousands of internally displaced Palestinians who have been called on by the Israeli military to evacuate their homes are not safe in UN designated shelters in Gaza.”
Meehan went on to decry “those responsible for hiding weapons in United Nations facilities in Gaza,” presumably meaning Hamas.
In an interview with the BBC, Peter Lerner of the Israeli military was vague in his answers to questions. However, he did say, “We do not target UN facilities,” despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
This conflict has reached its 23rd day, making it the most drawn out Israel-Gaza conflict since Operation Summer Rains in 2006. However, only 409 people were killed on either side of that five-month conflict. Operation Protective Edge is already responsible for the death of over three times as many people.
