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Masked intruders storm and sabotage UN Gaza kids' camp

No claim of responsiblity yet, but Islamists suspected.

Early today, 2 dozen masked and armed men invaded a UN kids' summer camp in Gaza, tied up an unarmed guard, burned and slashed tents and a perimeter fence and also slashed a plastic swimming pool, slide and other accoutrements.

The UN's summer activities programme for 250,000 children has been criticised by Islamists for corrupting youth. Its main rival is Hamas camps, dedicated to Islamic study, parades and athletics, which Hamas says have 100,000 attendees.

John Ging, local UN head, called the attack "cowardly and despicable" and said it was the latest sign of growing levels of extremism in Gaza. He said it gives further evidence "of the urgency to change the circumstances on the ground that are generating such extremism."

from AP

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The second such attack in a month

28.06.2010 14:26

"The second such attack in a month" - also from AP

from AP

The attackers of this UN facility could well have arrived by boat.

28.06.2010 22:20

The camp is on a beach just yards from the sea. The attackers were masked and came by night. Did they arrive by boat?

Check the photograph of the destroyed camp in this BBC report, it is just yards from the sea:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/10433004.stm

It would appear to be very plausible, therefore, that these attackers could be agents of a hostile government. Perhaps one with a history of Palestian persecution, attacks on the UN, attacks on aid missions and false-flag operations. One that not only destroys the hope of Palestinian children, but regularly kills them. One that openly declares its use of deception to make war.

Rob Challis

That's tarpaulin, not the sea

28.06.2010 23:39

That's blue-coloured tarpaulin you can see, not the sea. There are several large curved slashes in it under which the fabric has visibly wilted down, revealing background beyond. Between the two nearest figures can be seen a bunched section of the fabric that is not pinned up.

poster

near the sea

29.06.2010 12:11

re: That's tarpaulin, not the sea

I think we all realise there is blue tarpaulin there! But if you look above the tarpaulin on the top right it does look like the sea in the background.

I'm not sure if I believe Rob's conspiracy theory that it was Israel though, it would be too risky for too little gain and very bad publicity if it went wrong.

Radical Islamists do nutty things as well as radical Zionists even if they are coming from a position as the underdog here. Or maybe they are justified in attacking the camps because the UN is spreading Christian propaganda and undermining the struggle against Israeli occupation?

anon

of course it was the Zionists

30.06.2010 00:32

Of course it was the Zionists, Palestinains never do anything nasty!

anon

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Islamists get their way everywhere these days -

07.07.2010 13:34

Hamas no doubt prefer kids being indoctrinated to hate jews and any other "infidels". Arab-Israeli conflict would long be over if it wasn't for the Koran and Islamist ideology.

Poor kids