Peres tells Ban 'we made mistakes in Gaza'
President meets with UN secretary-general, rejects claims IDF deliberately targeted UNWRA facilities during recent operation. 'I admit that we made some mistakes, but I do not know of any war without mistakes. We did not want to kill a single civilian
WASHINGTON – A day after the United Nations special inquiry committee accused the IDF of deliberately targeting facilities belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip during Operation Cast Lead, President Shimon Peres met with UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon and rejected the claims.
"I admit that we made some mistakes, but I don't know of any war where mistakes weren't made. We did not want to kill a single civilian, but war is terrible and our soldiers too were killed by IDF fire. Did we kill our soldiers on purpose? Of course not," Peres said.
"I admit that we made some mistakes, but I don't know of any war where mistakes weren't made. We did not want to kill a single civilian, but war is terrible and our soldiers too were killed by IDF fire. Did we kill our soldiers on purpose? Of course not," Peres said.
Peres expressed his appreciation of Ban's decision to balance the language of the report issued by the inquiry committee. "The secretary general is not responsible for the report," Peres said. "He tried to distinguish between what is necessary in order to be objective and fair and listen to us."
Speaking to reporters after the meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, Peres said that Israel "will never accept it (the report). We don't think we have to apologize because we have the right to defend the lives of our children and women."
Earlier on Wednesday Ban called on Israel the blockade on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
"I am very disturbed by the situation in the Gaza Strip," Ban said in a statement read out to a UN-sponsored international conference in Cyprus in support of the Middle East peace process.
"I call on Israel to provide adequate entry of fuel, cash and materials that are urgently needed to repair schools, clinics, sanitation networks and shelters," Ban said.
