Gaza City, Sept 19: Israel troops fired warning shots on Wednesday at a UN and EU delegation inspecting Palestinian houses destroyed or damaged by the army in the Gaza town of Rafah, on the Israeli-controlled border with Egypt, a UN official said. The delegation, including Peter Hansen, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and an EU representative to the West Bank and Gaza, scattered as the army fired the shots, an UNRWA official said.

The delegation was in the town to allocate 97 apartments to Palestinians who have lost their homes along the border strip, where Israel regularly demolishes homes in operations to stop the smuggling of weapons or to deny militants cover for attacks on their positions.

The army had no immediate comment. Bureau Report