U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan met with U.N. ambassadors of the Arab Group on Wednesday to discuss whether an investigation into the deaths of seven people on a Gaza beach is feasible, according to a source close to the discussion. There have been calls for the United Nations to launch an investigation into the killings of the seven family members last week. Annan said Tuesday that in order to conduct an investigation, “we would need both the Israelis and Palestinian authorities to cooperate.” Annan is expected to meet with Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman Wednesday evening, and the secretary-general spoke on Tuesday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the “ongoing dialogue in the political sphere,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujjaric told reporters on Wednesday. Responding to a question from S.P.A. regarding Arab news reports that a special envoy would be traveling to the Palestinian territories to investigate the recent escalation of violence in the area, Dujarric said such reports were “erroneous.”
