UN's Ban enters Gaza as construction supplies let in
After meeting with Netanyahu and visiting West Bank, UN secretary-general crossed into Gaza to visit sites hit by Israel during Operation Protective Edge.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon lamented the vast destruction in Gaza as he visited the area on Tuesday for the first time since the war, calling the situation "beyond description" and urging a speedy reconstruction effort.
Ban crossed into the Gaza Strip through the Erez Crossing as part of a visit to Israel and the region. He is set to visit UNRWA facilities, including a school that was hit during Operation Protective Edge.
During the fighting, Israel claimed Hamas had used the school - as well as other UNRWA facilities - to launch rocket attacks on Israel. Ban also slammed Israel at the time for attacking the facilities, many of which were harboring displaced Gazans.
Ban also announced that Israel was permitting a first truckload of construction materials to enter the enclave, which has been blockaded by Israel and Egypt since before the conflict.
“I’m very happy to announce that the first truck carrying… construction materials is coming to Gaza today (Tuesday),” he said.
UN officials said the shipment would include cement, steel reinforcing wire and aggregate.
In a short visit under tight security, Ban toured areas that were heavily bombarded by Israel during the 50-day war."I am here with a heavy heart," Ban told a news conference. "The destruction which I have seen coming here is beyond description," he added, calling it much worse than what he had witnessed after the last war in 2008-9.
Ban addressed the Gaza aid donors conference which saw nations pledge some 5.4 billion for rebuilding the Strip after the war with Israel left countless structures in ruins. He also said that should Israel and the Palestinians fail to return to peace talks, aggressions will start anew.
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Ban also noted that the Palestinian unity government had to play a central role in rebuilding Gaza, and noted that the UN was the first to welcome it.
Ban met Tuesday with top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu and Opposition Chairman Isaac Herzog.
On Monday, Ban slammed Israeli settlement building, calling for renewed peace talks to avoid further conflict with the Palestinians, while Netanyahu pressed the UN chief to prevent the Palestinians from taking unilateral diplomatic measures at the United Nations which would "undermine" peace.
"A real peace can only be achieved through bilateral negotiations," Netanyahu told Ban in a meeting in Jerusalem.
"I believe that unilateral steps by Palestinians at the United Nations will not advance peace," he said. "If the United Nations wants to a support a genuine reconciliation, it must avoid any steps that could undermine peace."
Herzog also met with Ban and said that a "political agreement with the Palestinians is an Israeli, Palestinian and regional interest and should be promoted via direct and immediate negotiations between the parties".
Ban visited both Israel and the West Bank on Monday, a day after a Cairo conference at which international donors pledged $5.4 billion (4.3 billion euros) to rebuild the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.
"The amount that has been committed, pledged by the international community is quite encouraging," Ban said at a joint news conference with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in Ramallah.
The funds would go towards the "urgently needed" reconstruction of infrastructure and homes, he said, referring to an "unprecedented" level of destruction in Gaza where nearly 2,200 Palestinians were killed in the 50-day war in July and August.
But "while rebuilding is important, we must tackle the root causes of instability," Ban said.
"We must give renewed attention to the West Bank.
"I once again strongly condemn the continued settlement activity by Israel," the UN chief said, echoing international condemnation of plans for new settler homes on disputed territory the Palestinians want for their future state.
AFP and Reuters contributed to this report
