2007年VOA标准英语-Israel Warns of Retaliation in Gaza as Security

Israel's Defense¹ Minister warned Monday that Israeli forces could retaliate² if Palestinian militants⁴ do not stop rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, United Nations officials say they are reinforcing security at U.N. facilities in Gaza following an attack against a U.N. run school by extremists on Sunday that left a security guard dead.

Over the past few days there has been a spike⁵ in rocket attacks by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip against the Israeli town of Sderot, which is the nearest town in Israel to the Gaza border. One missile on Monday morning narrowly missed a kindergarten.

Amir Peretz (Jan 2007)

Peretz, who also heads the Labor⁶ Party, says Israelis will not hesitate to attack Palestinian militants in Gaza if the attacks do not stop. He says Israelis want peace but will not put peace before security.

The militant³ group Islamic Jihad is claiming responsibility for most of the attacks over the past few days. Most Palestinian armed factions⁷, except Islamic Jihad agreed to a truce⁸ in Gaza with Israel late last year.

A Palestinian checks the damage in a U.N vehicle next to a U.N.-operated elementary school after an attack by Palestinian militants at Rafah refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, 06 Sun 2007

John Ging, the senior U.N. official in Gaza says the problems with security in Gaza can be tied to problems with money.

"The bottom line is that security forces that we all rely on to uphold law and order have been without their regular salaries for well over a year," he said. "They are demoralized, de-motivated and it's basically down to that."

"This was predicted, it is predictable, and until there is a solution to the funding crisis that faces the Palestinian Authority and all elements of the public sector¹⁰, we can expect deterioration¹¹ in public services, including security services, to continue," he continued. 

Most international funding to the Palestinian Authority was suspended last year following the Hamas victory in Palestinian legislative¹² elections. A new Palestinian unity¹³ government has managed to get some funding restored, but mainly for humanitarian¹⁴ assistance.

Ging says despite the deteriorating¹⁵ security situation, the U.N. has no plans to curtail¹⁶ its extensive operations in Gaza. Palestinian security officials say the same group that attacked the U.N. run school appears to be behind a string of attacks on internet cafes, video rental¹⁷ stores and other recreational facilities in Gaza.

Monday also marked the eighth week of captivity¹⁸ for the BBC's Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston. Johnston was the only western reporter permanently¹⁹ based in Gaza. Despite global calls for his release there is no information about his condition or whereabouts.