U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Gaza and the rocket-battered Tuesday, but his heart clearly was with his hope for a “one Palestine” that unites Hamas and Fatah with joint supervision of goods moving in and out of Gaza.
“We stand by you. The international community supports your government’s efforts to assume the security and governance responsibilities in Gaza,” he said after meeting with Gaza officials.
He also visited Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha and Nirim, targets of Hamas tunnel terrorists, and he toured the remains one of the tunnels with IDF officials.
Ban didn’t connect the dots.
“This is a great opportunity to unite the West Bank and Gaza under one Palestinian leadership,” he said. “My visit today to the school and to Gaza has reinforced my conviction that there is no time to lose. There can be no peace in the Middle East, no security for Israel, while the crisis in Gaza festers.”
He did not acquit Gaza terrorists of all guilt and added, “I repeat here in Gaza: the rockets fired by Hamas and other armed groups must end.”
He said he was “shocked and alarmed by the underground tunnels which have been used for penetration for terrorist purposes. Nobody should live under constant threat or fear by these rockets and the penetrating alarming underground tunnels.”
Ban did his best to show sorrow for terror victims in Israel as Gazans who have been caught between their own terrorist regime and IDF retaliation.
But the bottom line, as expected, is that lifting the “senseless blockade” and addressing the underlying issues “is the only way – a viable option, so that the two peoples can enjoy peace and harmony and security.”
His visit follows by several days the “donors” conference in Cairo, where more than $5 billion was pledged to “re-build” Gaza.”
Ban said last week this will be the “last time” that aid will pour into Gaza, where Hamas has repeated used funds to feed its stockpile of weapons rather than feed its hapless resident.
A sign that the Ban called the “build-destroy, build-destroy cycle” is not about to end is that aid is going into Gaza without Hamas agreeing to give up its missiles.
The United States is coughing up more than $200 million for Gaza, and Associated Press reporter Matt Lee asked the State Dept. Tuesday, “If you’re going to give them the money without a guarantee of – that hostilities aren’t going to start again, I’m wondering why you just don’t throw it on a bonfire or something.”
Spokeswoman Jen Pskai replied dodged the question, saying only, “We want to see Gaza reconstructed, and we believe that the people of Gaza have a vast array of needs… There’s a desire in the international community to see a serious approach to a lasting ceasefire. “