| Submit your comments on this article |
| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| UN condemns Gaza projectile launches |
| 2010-07-31 |
| [Ma'an] The Israeli military reported Friday morning that a projectile launched from the Gaza Strip hit the outskirts of the coastal city of Ashkelon. Richard Miron, spokesperson for the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry, issued a statement saying the office "condemn[s] the attack on Ashkelon earlier today, in which a rocket struck a residential area. Indiscriminate rocket fire against civilians is completely unacceptable and constitutes a terrorist attack." A second set of mortars were reported shortly after noon, landing in empty fields in the western Negev. The reports have not been confirmed, but coincide with reports of explosions north of Gaza City. According to Israeli daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, an air raid siren sounded south of the city during the 8:30a.m. strike, and damages were reported in an empty apartment building as well as to some cars parked nearby. The report said crews were dispatched to locate the remains of the projectile, but have not reported findings. No Gaza faction has claimed either launch. Yedioth quoted Ashkelon Mayor Benny Vaknin as saying the incident was "one of the worst since Operation Cast Lead," and categorizing it as an "escalation," while military officials were quick to respond, telling the paper that the launch did not necessarily indicate an escalation. By early afternoon, Israeli officials told Yedioth that a complaint over the projectiles would be submitted to the UN. Quoting Foreign Ministry spokesman Yossi Levy, the news site said, "Israel will stress in its complaint that the firing of a Grad missile on a large city like Ashkelon — with the clear goal of murdering men, women and children as they prepare for Shabbat — is a blatant violation of international law and points to the murderous, barbaric and violent nature of those behind it." How about you activate Operation Boom Goes the New Mall instead? |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 UN sensing that the American funding pot is in real jeopardy as the US budget sinks below the sunset? |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-07-31 11:37 |
| #4 How many thousands of 'projectiles' have sailed over the border from Gaza in the last few years? And now they are condemning it? Hmm. |
| Posted by: bigjim-CA 2010-07-31 06:58 |
| #3 Because it failed to kill any Jews? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-07-31 04:37 |
| #2 Robert Serry, issued a statement saying the office "condemn[s] the attack on Ashkelon earlier today, in which a rocket struck a residential area. Indiscriminate rocket fire against civilians is completely unacceptable and constitutes a terrorist attack." with that, pigs began to lift off and orbit |
| Posted by: Mike Hunt 2010-07-31 00:54 |
| #1 This is an improvement. At least the UN was aware of it this time. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-07-31 00:34 |