Israeli destruction of buildings in Gaza is illegal, Annan and UN envoy say

The United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and his senior envoy for the Middle East today strongly deplored yesterday Israel’s continuing demolition of Palestinian-owned buildings as illegal, especially the destruction of three 13-story buildings in the Gaza Strip on the weekend.

During the past month, 2,000 people became homeless as Israel destroyed some 200 buildings in the Gaza Strip, spokesperson Marie Okabe said. In that connection, the Secretary-General deplored the destruction by the Israeli military of three 13-story buildings in the Gaza Strip on Saturday night.

Terje Roed-Larsen, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said the punitive destruction of the buildings, "owned by families of Palestinian security personnel," violated international law.