Israel wants UNRWA probed

by Arieh O'Sullivan and Amir Mizroch
 
Surveillance video shows Palestinians in Gaza loading what looks 
like a Kassam rocket into a vehicle marked "UN"
Photo: IDF 

Israel plans to call for the resignation of Peter Hansen, the 
commissioner-general of UNRWA in Gaza, after IDF cameras 
caught Palestinians terrorists apparently using an UNRWA 
vehicle to transport a Kassam rocket in the Gaza Strip. 

The IDF released footage taken by unmanned aerial vehicles 
showing masked men loading what appeared to be a Kassam 
rocket into an ambulance marked "UN" on its roof. 
The black-and-white footage showed the men driving off 
in the vehicle inside the Jabalya refugee camp. 

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman, 
said he plans to file a complaint with UN Secretary-General 
Kofi Annan over the matter. He told Army Radio that the UN 
was turning into a tool of terrorists instead of fostering 
peace. "It is inconceivable that the UN, which is supposed 
to be spreading peace is being used as a cover for terror," 
Gillerman said. 

Gillerman specifically cast blame on Peter Hansen, the head 
of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip. 
"He is a hater of Israel. He is the source of the problem. 
The UN needs to ask if this man should hold such a central 
position." "We view this incident very seriously, and 
I intend on Monday to turn to the UN secretary-general 
with a very strong complaint. I will ask that they come 
to the necessary conclusions regarding UNRWA, to check 
the incident, and establish a serious committee of inquiry 
that will get to the bottom of this thing. It is unacceptable 
that the UN, which is supposed to further the goals of 
peace, will turn into a shelter for murderers," Gillerman said. 

Reached by telephone, Hansen said Saturday his organization 
was investigating the claims made by the IDF. He claimed 
the IDF had in the past made false allegations against UNRWA. 

"We are doing our best to see what is the basis for these 
allegations," Hansen said. 

Speaking to The Jerusalem Post, Hansen said he was on 
his way to Jerusalem in the hopes of seeing higher-resolution 
footage of the incident. He added that he has ordered 
an investigation of all ambulance drivers and orderlies. 

"This won't be the first time false allegations have been 
made against us. Everyone who has seen the footage has 
told me the object looks more like a folded-up stretcher 
than anything else. Especially since it was being carried 
with one hand. A Kassam rocket would be too heavy for 
a man to carry with one hand." 

According to the IDF website, the Kassam 1 rocket is 
about 2 meters long and weighs on average 5.5 KG. 
The Kassam 2 weighs an estimated 32KG, and the 
Kassam 3 weighs roughly 90 KG. 

Further IDF footage showed other Palestinians loading 
a rocket into the back of an unmarked van. They drove 
off in the vehicle which was then blown up by a missile 
fired from an Israeli helicopter. The incident occurred 
early Friday, according to the army. 

Israel uses drones to monitor activities in the crowded 
Gaza refugee camps. The footage provides soldiers and 
pilots real-time pictures of what is happening on the 
ground. 

To watch the IDF's footage of the incident, click here. 
http://www1.idf.il/SIP_STORAGE/DOVER/files/7/34147.wmv
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Ofer Barsadeh contributed to this report.