Footage shows terrorists using UN-marked vehicle

[Rudey]

Footage shows terrorists using UN-marked vehicle


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Associated Press, Oct. 1, 2004

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The Israel Defense Forces released video footage Friday taken by an unmanned aircraft showing what appeared to be Palestinians in the Gaza Strip loading rockets into a vehicle marked "U.N."

The black-and-white footage, taken by a drone - or unmanned aircraft - flying over the Gaza Strip, showed the militants driving off in the white van, with "U.N." marked in black on its roof.

The IDF is furious at the United Nations representatives in the Gaza Strip, "who continuously stress that they are an international organization and of course is not in any way involved in terrorism," Channel 1 TV quoted IDF officials as saying.

Israel has often accused terrorists of using United Nations vehicles and headquarters to launch attacks. U.N. officials were not immediately available for comment.

Israel has also accused officials of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, responsible for caring for thousands of refugees in the Gaza Strip, of turning a blind eye to terrorist activities in their vicinity, and of clear bias against Israel.

Israel uses drones to monitor activities in the crowded Gaza refugee camps. The footage provides soldiers and pilots real-time pictures of what is happening on the ground.

Friday's footage was released while the army launched a widescale operation in the Jebaliya refugee camp and nearby towns in an attempt to halt Palestinian rocket attacks on towns in Israel. Those rocket attacks killed two Israeli preschoolers Wednesday.

Thirty-five Palestinians have been killed in the army operation.

Further footage showed other Palestinians loading a rocket into the back of an unmarked van. The terrorists drove off in the vehicle, and then an Israeli missile fired from a helicopter hit the van and blew it up. The incident occurred early Friday, according to the army.

-Rudey