The United Nations Monday condemned an attack by Israeli forces in which two U.N. personnel were injured. The attacks, carried out in the Gaza Strip, also resulted in damage to offices of the U.N. envoy to the region.
Headquarters of the U.N. Middle East envoy are next door to the Palestinian Authority offices targeted in the attack.
One staff member suffered a back injury on Sunday after a shattered window landed on him. Another has a concussion. Two other U.N. staffers were thrown from their desks from the force of the blast but escaped injury.
"The secretary-general deplores the deepening spiral of violence between Israel and the Palestinians," said spokesman Fred Eckhard on behalf of Kofi Annan. The secretary-general "is dismayed at Israel's shelling yesterday of facilities belonging to the Palestinian Authority in Gaza near civilian areas with bombs of heavy tonnage which caused substantial damage to United Nations offices and injury to two United Nations employees," continued Mr. Eckhard.
Mr. Eckhard noted this was the third time U.N. offices had been struck during Israeli bombing.