The war in Lebanon and northern Israel should not distract attention from events in Gaza, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has warned. The killing of civilians, including children, in Gaza was "utterly unjustifiable", his spokesman said. Three people died in an Israeli strike on Wednesday, including a little girl. Israel began operations in Gaza on 28 June after the capture of its soldier, Cpl Gilad Shalit. Palestinians say more than 170 people have been killed. On Wednesday Mr Annan expressed fears that the war in Lebanon and northern Israel could overshadow events in Gaza and "the urgent need to work towards a solution to the current crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory". "The continued killing and injuring of hundreds of civilians, including children, in Gaza, by Israeli forces is utterly unjustifiable," spokesman Stephane Dujarric added. He voiced particular concern about the "arbitrary arrests" of senior Palestinians including Aziz Dweik, the Palestinian parliamentary speaker detained by Israel on Sunday. This "further undermines the Palestinian institutions which must be preserved if a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is to be achieved", he was quoted as saying by BBC.
