Ban says Gaza situation deteriorating
UN chief telephones Olmert, tells him he is deeply concerned about humanitarian situation in Strip, urges Israel to allow UN aid workers into territory. PM agrees to look seriously into matter
"The secretary-general today telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to express his deep concern over the consequences of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza," the UN press office said in a statement.
"He strongly urged the prime minister to facilitate the freer movement of urgently needed humanitarian supplies and of concerned United Nations personnel into Gaza," it said.
Olmert denounced the continuing rocket fire into Israel from Gaza, but "agreed to look seriously into the urgent matter" raised by Ban, the statement said.
The prime minister made it clear to the UN chief that Hamas was responsible for the violations of the truce deal. According to Olmert, Hamas is attempting to present an extreme picture of the Gaza crisis in order to renounce its responsibility.
"Israel has prevented and continues to prevent a humanitarian crisis, but as long as Israeli lives are threatened on a daily basis, Gaza's residents can only address their complaints to the Hamas government," he added.
Israel allowed 33 truckloads of supplies into Gaza for the first time in two weeks on Monday, and Olmert told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that he would not permit a humanitarian crisis to develop there.
Before that Israel had not allowed UNRWA, a United Nations agency that aids some 750,000 refugees in Gaza, to bring in supplies since Nov. 4 during cross-border fighting in which more than a dozen Palestinian fighters were killed.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said he ordered the crossings to remain closed on Wednesday "following continued rocket fire towards Israel".
