UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon marked his visit to Israel Tuesday by insisting that the loss of civilian life on both sides of the Gaza escalation was “unacceptable under any circumstances”, and he sought to lead international mediation efforts.
His visit, the first to the country in nine months, closely followed that of German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and also consisted of meetings with both Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres, during the course of which he told both politicians that however difficult the situation facing the Israeli population was, in light of a surge of rocket fire from Gaza on Israeli territory, “Israel must exercise maximum restraint”.
Whilst conceding that rockets targeting, killing and injuring civilians in Israel’s largest cities Jerusalem and Tel Aviv were “unacceptable, irresponsible and reckless”, Israel’s own operation in Gaza, whilst not intentionally targeting civilians, wreaked similar havoc. “The excessive use of force is unlawful and must be rejected,” he cautioned adding that during the course of military ground operations, innocent civilians were “apt to be victimised, as we have seen”.
Responding to the charge, Netanyahu said: “If a long-term solution can be put in place through diplomatic means, than Israel would be a willing partner to such a solution. But if stronger military action proves necessary to stop the constant barrage of rockets, Israel will not hesitate to do what is necessary to defend our people.”
“Innocent people, including children, are being killed and injured on both sides,” Ban continued. “I appeal to all those commanding, bearing and operating arms – weapons – to respect international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of civilians at all times.”
In remarks at a joint press conference with Netanyahu, he added: “The world is watching and waiting. We have not a moment to lose.”
The Israeli PM responded by thanking the UN head for his “consistent statements condemning the rocket attacks on Israel's citizens”. Reiterating Israel’s attempts to avoid incurring civilian casualties on either side, he said “I'm not sure that there is another military on Earth that goes to such great lengths to keep innocents out of harm's way”.
Describing current events as “almost without parallel in history”, he added that Israel is being forced to conduct “these surgical operations against terrorists at a time when our own population is being bombarded by rocket attacks”.
Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorist groups, he contended, are “deliberately and indiscriminately targeting our civilians and they deliberately hide behind their civilians”, as he accused the militant organisations of targeting “our children and they use their children as human shields”.
Insisting the only way to definitely define terrorism as an illegitimate tactic was for the international community to untie in strong condemnation of terrorist acts, he concluded: “The moment we draw symmetry between the victims of terror and the unintended casualties that result from legitimate military action against the terrorists, the minute that false symmetry is drawn, the terrorists win.”
At a press conference with Peres also Tuesday, Ban paid tribute to the Israeli statesman as “a man of peace”, as he called on his “wisdom to help restore calm and seek the peace for which we all long”.
“This is the only way to bring lasting security to all,” he advised.
“Further escalation benefits no one, he continued ahead of Wednesday’s suspected Hamas bombing of a Tel Aviv bus which injured at least 21 Israeli civilians, three of whom are thought to be in a serious condition. “Now is the time for diplomacy. Now is the time for both sides to reach an immediate ceasefire,” he added.
In a direct address to Peres, he concluded: “I count on your leadership and wisdom to maintain peace and stability in this region. Peace and stability has global implications and again I count on your leadership.”
Paying tribute to Ban’s “contribution as a heavyweight”, Peres expressed his gratitude for the Secretary-General’s efforts to “bring calm to the situation”.
However, he insisted, “the problem is not just the height of the flames but who starts them and who can end them,” as he reiterated: “There is no room for comparison between Israel and Hamas.”
“Unfortunately they target civilians, we protect them. They hide amongst their civilian population, we are extremely careful to avoid hitting all civilians. Our army is working hard to avoid harming civilians,” he continued.
“Our strength is aimed at defending our civilian life. We would prefer for this to happen by talking and without shooting. But otherwise we shall to do what we can to stop it,” he cautioned.
“There is no member of the United Nations, nor the United Nations itself, that can allow 1300 rockets to be aimed at their civilians; women and children. The leaders of the world must insist that Hamas stop the fire and must make clear that terror is unacceptable," he said in echoes of Netanyahu’s repeated rhetoric that no nation on earth would accept threats to the safety its civilian population.
“We are a nation that seeks peace and have agreed to the two state solution, this is our policy. Hamas rejects this completely; they reject negotiations and Israel's right to exit. Peace can be attained only through direct negotiations," he concluded.
Elsewhere on Ban’s visit, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told him on a meeting between the two that he rejected international “calls on Israel to abstain from a ground operation strengthen Hamas and extend the current confrontation,” as he insisted that “if Israel will be forced to initiate a ground operation, it will not be a limited operation”.