Netanyahu: Postpone Probe Into Attacks on UN Facilities in Gaza

Accuses Ban of Being 'Emotional' About Civilian Deaths

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got into a heated argument with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday night, according to Israeli officials, over the planned UN investigation into Israel attacking UN sites in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu had demanded Ban postpone the probe into the attacks indefinitely, pending Israel releasing its own inquiry results. He also accused Ban of “discriminating” against Israel by wanting to probe the attacks on UN sites full of civilians at all.

Israeli officials went on to say that Ban was “very emotional” about the civilian killings and didn’t accept Israel’s problem to do their own probe of the attacks, saying UN sites are supposed to be immune to attack.

Israel attacked several UN sites during the summer war on the Gaza Strip, mostly schools being used to shelter civilians forced out of their homes by the Israeli invasion. The attacks were criticized, but Israel has insisted the attacks were either a mistake or legitimate self-defense.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.