Hamas official slams UN chief Ban's 'hypocrisy' after visit to Gaza, Israel
Mahmoud Zahar says Israel's arsenal of weapons and nuclear reactor are much worse than the Hamas infiltration tunnels that Ban condemned; Abu Zuhri says time for Ban to take action, end ambiguity.
By JPOST.COM STAFFHamas official Mahmoud Zahar(photo credit: REUTERS)
Hamas on Wednesday accused UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of hypocrisy and double standards after his visit to Gaza and southern Israel on Tuesday.Mahmoud Zahar took offense to comments the UN chief made while on a tour of a Hamas infiltration tunnel uncovered by the IDF leading from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel near Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha.Ban expressed shock at the threats faced by residents of southern Israel, saying "I have repeated the saying that rocket attacks killing civilian population is not acceptable. It should (be) condemned. Nobody should live on the constant threat or fear by these rockets and the penetrating, alarming underground tunnels."Zahar said in response on Wednesday that "the occupation's arsenal and nuclear reactor are far more dangerous than the tunnel he was talking about."Prior to his visit in southern Israel, Ban toured areas of Gaza, saying, "The destruction which I have seen while coming to here is beyond description. This is much more serious destruction than what I saw in 2009."Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that Ban should take "serious action" to change the situation in Gaza now that he has seen the destruction up close.“Ban Ki-moon took part in covering the Israeli massacres in Rafah,” Ma'an quoted Abu Zuhri as saying. “He is demanded to take responsibility toward the victims of the Israeli offensive.”He called on Ban to "stop the ambiguity."
