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."
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."
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The second such attack in a month
28.06.2010 14:26
from AP
The attackers of this UN facility could well have arrived by boat.
28.06.2010 22:20
Check the photograph of the destroyed camp in this BBC report, it is just yards from the sea:
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
poster
near the sea
29.06.2010 12:11
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
anon