United Nations, July 20: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has warned Israel against deporting relatives of Palestinian militants from West Bank to Gaza Strip, saying that it would amount to "collective punishment".
"While he (Annan) has repeatedly condemned suicide bombings and upheld Israel's right to defend itself, Annan wishes to make it clear that self-defence cannot justify measures that amount to collective punishments," his spokesperson Fred Eckhard said. He was commenting on Israeli proposal of deporting some of the relatives of Palestinian militants, linked to the suicide attacks, to Gaza Strip. "The Secretary-General is disturbed by reports that Israeli government have again destroyed the homes of Palestinians in the West Bank," he added.
Israeli forces also destroyed homes of two Palestinians suspected of being involved in suicide attacks this week.
Bureau Report