News Flash

Israel pays $11M to UN for damages in Gaza conflict

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-01-23 03:43

UNITED NATIONS: Israel has paid the United Nations 10.5 million U.S. dollars for damages the world body and its personnel suffered during the attacks in Gaza early last year, a UN spokesman said here Friday.

Martin Nesirky, spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, told reporters that the government of Israel has made a payment of 10.5 million U.S. dollars to the United Nations.

"With these payments, the United Nations has agreed that the financial issues relating to those incidents ... are concluded," said Nesirky.

He said the secretary general "would like to recall the cooperative approach the government of Israel has shown in the course of discussion that led to the settlement."

The United Nations in July 2009 submitted to Israel claims for reimbursement for losses of its sustained in a number of incidents during the military action from December 2008 to January 2009 conflict. Since then there have been discussions between the parties on the compensation for the damage to UN's buildings, warehouses, schools and vehicles there.

The 22-day Israeli offensive killed some 1,400 Palestinians, leaving more than 5,500 people injured, according to the statistics of local and international rights groups.