U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, urging the international community to not be distracted by fighting in Lebanon, remains concerned by the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Wednesday. “The continued killing and injuring of hundreds of civilians, including children, in Gaza by Israeli forces is utterly unjustifiable,” Dujarric told reporters. Dujarric said Israeli actions such as the “arbitrary arrest” of many senior Palestinians, including Palestinian Council speaker Dr. Aziz Dweik, is disconcerting and jeopardizes the peace process. The arrest “further undermines the Palestinian institutions which must be preserved if a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is to be achieved,” said Dujarric.
