BBC: UN suspends Gazan aid operationChris Gunness, Unwra spokesman: 'We've had no other choice'
The UN's main aid agency has suspended its operations in Gaza because its staff have been hit by Israeli attacks.
The suspension would continue "until the Israeli authorities can guarantee our safety and security", the UN said.
Meanwhile, the US, UK and France have dropped opposition to a UN resolution urging an immediate ceasefire, and Arab nations are studying a draft.
It comes on day 13 of an offensive by Israel aimed at stopping Palestinian militants firing rockets from Gaza.
Unrwa's move came shortly after it said one person had been killed and two hurt when a fork-lift truck on a UN aid mission came under Israeli tank fire at Gaza's Erez crossing.
It said it was "with great regret" that it had been forced to make a difficult decision.
"We have suspended our operations in Gaza until the Israeli authorities can guarantee our safety and security," said Unrwa spokesman Chris Gunness.
"Our installations have been hit, our workers have been killed in spite of the fact that the Israeli authorities have the co-ordinates of our facilities and that all our movements are co-ordinated with the Israeli army."
The UN said the movements of the truck hit at the Erez crossing had been co-ordinated and cleared with the Israeli military.
The Israeli army has not commented on that claim but has said it is looking into the matter.
In a statement, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the Israeli military's action.
John Ging, director of operations in Gaza for Unrwa, said a convoy of two UN vehicles and an ambulance had also been fired at - although it was not clear by whom - despite having clearance for its movements from Israel.
The incident occurred as Israel for a second day suspended its military operation for three hours to allow Gazans to find food and bury their dead.
Mr Ging said the Israeli military had to give his staff a credible guarantee of safety.
"If they give us clearance to move then it is wholly and totally unacceptable that their soldiers on the ground are firing on our aid workers," he said.
A UN spokeswoman said other agencies including the World Health Organization, World Food Programme and Unicef would continue aid operations in Gaza.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has also accused Israel of failing to fulfil its duty to help wounded civilians in Gaza.
The ICRC said its staff had found four weak and scared children beside their mothers' bodies in houses hit by shelling in Zeitoun.
VIDEO
ONU se retrage: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7818993.stm
Vaticanul asemuieste GAZA cu un "mare lagar de concentrare"
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=11451093
Ministrul de Justitie al Vaticanului:
Guardiamo le condizioni di Gaza: assomiglia sempre più ad un grande campo di
concentramento.
Interviul originial aici
http://www.ilsussidiario.net/articolo.aspx?articolo=10714
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