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Response by Commissioner-General Peter Hansen to Allegations Regarding
misuse of a UN Vehicle
UNRWA
PRESS RELEASE
October
2, 2004
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GAZA - On 1 October in the evening the Israel Defense Forces
provided video footage to the international press purporting
to show “a UN vehicle transporting a Qassam rocket”. Given
the gravity of the allegation, I immediately ordered my staff
to obtain a copy of the footage in question and initiated an
investigation into the alleged facts.
On the footage: I have now seen the footage in question. I
can confirm it shows one of UNRWA’s ambulances. It then shows
three persons walking swiftly towards it. One of these
persons is carryingin one hand a light, long and thin object.
The person then easily throws the object into the back of the
ambulance.
(Note: the footage has erased the indication of the date on
which it was shot. There is no way of identifying when or
where the clip was taken.)
On the investigation: UNRWA’s investigation into the facts
included interviews with all the ambulance drivers and crews
who have been active in the area. I am fully satisfied with
the veracity of the testimony given to me by these UNRWA
staff members, who have solemnly declared that they have
acted in conformity with stringent UN rules of behaviour at
all times. I might add that these staff members are carrying
out highly dangerous humanitarian work with selfless
commitment.
While the quality of the video clip is poor, its analysis
shows beyond the shadow of a doubt that the object carried
and thrown into the vehicle is not / cannot be a Qassam
rocket: I have been told that a Qassam rocket weighs at least
32 kilogrammes and that its diameter is approx. 17 cm. On
neither count does the object shown in the film correspond in
the least to this description: it is much thinner, longer and
obviously much lighter than a rocket. In my mind and in that
of those whom I have consulted, it is clearly a folded
stretcher, a logical and indispensable accessory in any
ambulance.
It is not the first time that the Government of Israel has
propagated falsehoods against UNRWA: a few months ago, two
Cabinet Ministers declared in public that UNRWA ambulances
were carrying body parts of fallen Israeli soldiers. When
challenged to produce the evidence backing up this claim, or
to retract the statement and offer an apology, the Ministers
in question were not able to provide any response and have
remained silent. In that case too, a thorough investigation
was carried out and led to the conclusion that there was not
a shred of evidence to suggest that the claim had any
basis in fact. I should like to emphasize in closing that I
am concerned that such false allegations can lead to
increased aggressive behaviour by Israelis towards the United
Nations in general and UN humanitarian staff in particular,
and therefore seriously increase the risks which UN personnel
face in this zone of violent conflict.
Johan Eriksson on +972 59 428 022 or Sami Mshasha on +054 216
8295
UNRWA PRESS RELEASE Press Release No. HQ/G/30/2004 02
October, 2004
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