The UN has said it is suspending aid operations in Gaza because its staff have been hit by Israeli attacks.
'Great regret'
Responding to the suspension of UN aid efforts, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said Israel fully supported the work of the UN and other humanitarian agencies in Gaza.
"We will do what needs to be done to facilitate this vital work," he said. "In these difficult days we must work together to meet the humanitarian needs of the population."
 |  Our installations have been hit, our workers have been killed in spite of the fact that the Israeli authorities have the co-ordinates of our facilities  Chris Gunness Unwra spokesman  |
The UN's move came shortly after it said one person had been killed and two hurt when a fork-lift truck on a UN aid mission came under Israeli tank fire at Gaza's Erez crossing.
The UN's relief agency Unwra said it was "with great regret" that it had been forced to make a difficult decision.
"We have suspended our operations in Gaza until the Israeli authorities can guarantee our safety and security," said Unwra spokesman Chris Gunness.
"Our installations have been hit, our workers have been killed in spite of the fact that the Israeli authorities have the co-ordinates of our facilities and that all our movements are co-ordinated with the Israeli army."
The UN said the movements of the truck hit at the Erez crossing had been co-ordinated and cleared with the Israeli military.
The Israeli army has not commented on that claim but has said it is looking into the matter.
In a statement, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the Israeli military's action.
John Ging, director of operations in Gaza for Unwra, said a convoy of two UN vehicles and an ambulance had also been fired at - although it was not clear by whom - despite having clearance for its movements from Israel.
| GAZA CRISIS BACKGROUND  |
Mr Ging said the Israeli military had to give his staff a credible guarantee of safety.
"If they give us clearance to move then it is wholly and totally unacceptable that their soldiers on the ground are firing on our aid workers," he said.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has also accused Israel of failing to fulfil its duty to help wounded civilians in Gaza.
The ICRC said its staff had found four weak and scared children beside their mothers' bodies in houses hit by shelling in Zeitoun.
excerpted from the BBChttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7818577.stm
Oh for Christ's sake! Come on. This does look just like Lebanon. Does anyone remember when Israeli missles hit a UN observer post in Southern Lebanon in 2006? The IDF has the precise positions and movements of UN workers in Gaza yet the workers are being attacked by Israeli troops on the ground? Israel is a first world military, they can coordinate this stuff well enough. If this were any other nation the US would be talking about applying economic and diplomatic sanctions. At least it finally dropped it opposition to the UN proposal. Ugh....how much collateral damage and "error" is needed before it becomes a war crime?
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