LOC09:24
06:24 GMT
WASHINGTON, Jan 16 (KUNA) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice late
on Thursday said she spoke with the Israeli defense minister and Israeli
foreign minister about Israeli artillery shells crashing into United Nations
headquarters in the Gaza Strip, and was told it was "an error that happened."
"There is great concern on their part," Rice said of the Israelis.
Reporters questioned Rice about the incident following a State Department
signing ceremony with the United Arab Emirates on a pact for peaceful uses of
nuclear energy.
The Israeli bombing of the UN headquarters in Gaza demonstrates "the very
dangerous nature of the kinds of fighting that is going on and the events that
we are in," Rice said, referring to the three-week-old Israeli military
campaign in Gaza. "We are principally concerned, of course, about the
humanitarian situation ..., " Rice said.
Israeli forces "extended the humanitarian pause (in bombing) for a period
of time," Rice said, "and we think that that needs to be done, and we are
really asking for the tightest possible cooperation and coordination" among UN
personnel, the International Committee of the Red Cross and Israeli forces
because "obviously it is a very difficult situation for civilians."
Asked if she protested the UN bombing incident with the Israelis, Rice
said, "We had a discussion of the difficulties that this had caused and the
need to try to avoid such incidents. I am quite sure that they are trying to
avoid them, but it is a difficult environment." (end)
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