- Title: MIDDLE EAST: Militants set fire to U.N. summer camp in Gaza
- Date: 24th June 2010
- Summary: JERUSALEM (JUNE 28, 2010) (REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS FLAG, ENTRANCE OF UNRWA HEADQUARTERS ENTRANCE FLAG SAMI MUSHASHA UNRWA OFFICAL AND SPOKESMAN IN JERUSALEM SIGN READING: 'UNRWA WEST BANK FEILD OFFICE - JERUSALEM' (SOUNDBITE) (English) SAMI MUSHASHA UNRWA OFFICIAL AND SPOKESMAN SAYING: "This is a cowardly and despicable act, we are extremely concerned that this is the second attack of its kind. It is a message by a small group of extremists in Gaza that are trying to rob the children of Gaza from happiness and simply having fun. These camps that cater to 250,000 Gazans are important because it tries to relieve the stress and the worry for the children of Gaza at these camps, we help them to simply have fun" MUSHASHA WALKING AWAY GAZA CITY, GAZA (JUNE 28, 2010) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF CHILDREN'S SUMMER CAMP ENTRANCE TO CAMP WITH TORN BANNER VARIOUS OF DAMAGE UNRWA SPOKESMAN IN GAZA ADNAN HASNA INSPECTING DAMAGE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ADNAN ABU HASNA UNRWA SPOKESMAN FROM GAZA SAYING: "This act diverts the attention from the siege on Gaza and takes the attention to another cause. Who ever acts against the UNRWA acts against the interests of the Palestinian people and against the refugee plight and the service for millions of Palestinian refugees. We give services to to 250,000 children in these camps and today some 500 children will be deprived from going or playing, or these projects which aim to free them from them from local or social pressure" MORE OF DAMAGE EXTERIOR
- Embargoed: 9th July 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVADQ6Z1SL21CNKQOBMQAC7SSICQ
- Story Text: Masked Palestinian gunmen set fire to a United Nations-run summer camp in Gaza on Monday (June 28), officials and witnesses said.
About 25 militants stormed the recreation facility and assaulted security guards before setting the building ablaze, said U.N. spokesman Adnan Abu Hasna.
It was the second time militants in the Hamas-controlled territory attacked a summer camp run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in recent months.
At the UNRWA headquarters in Jerusalem, spokesman Sami Mushasha described the attack as 'cowardly and despicable'.
"This is a cowardly and despicable act, we are extremely concerned that this is the second attack of its kind. It is a message by a small group of extremists in Gaza that are trying to rob the children of Gaza from happiness and simply having fun. These camps that cater to 250,000 Gazans are important because it tries to relieve the stress and the worry for the children of Gaza at these camps, we help them to simply have fun," Mushasha told Reuters.
In May, gunmen set another building on fire after accusing the United Nations of promoting immorality in the Islamist-ruled enclave.
John Ging, UNRWA's director of operations in Gaza, condemned the Monday's attack as a "cowardly and despicable act".
UNRWA will rebuild the camp immediately and will continue with its Summer Games programme, which, Ging said in a statement, is so important for the physical and psychological well-being of Gaza's children, so many of whom are stressed and traumatised by their circumstances.
Hamas officials had no immediate comment.
Fundamentalist Muslims, or Salafis -- whose agenda of global or holy war against the West conflicts with Hamas's nationalist goals -- have stepped up attacks in the Gaza Strip over the past several months, targeting Hamas security men and offices.
UNRWA spokesman in Gaza told Reuters that parents and neighbours helped put the fire out.
"This act diverts the attention from the siege on Gaza and takes the attention to another cause. Who ever acts against the UNRWA acts against the interests of the Palestinian people and against the refugee plight and the service for millions of Palestinian refugees. We give services to to 250,000 children in these camps and today some 500 children will be deprived from going or playing, or these projects which aim to free them from them from local or social pressure," Adnan Abu Hasna said.
Hamas has clamped down on behaviour and events it views as immoral and in April sent its security forces to break up Gaza's first major hip-hop concert.
The Islamist group wrested control of the Gaza Strip from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's secular Fatah movement in 2007. Israel, together with Egypt, tightened its blockade on the territory after the Hamas takeover. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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