Protesters throw shoes at UN chief in Gaza
Protesters threw shoes, sand and small stones at the convoy of UN
chief Ban Ki-moon as he entered the Gaza Strip for a visit on Thursday.
An AFP correspondent on the Gaza side of the Erez crossing from
Israel said a crowd of around 50 people, many of them relatives of
Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, threw objects at Ban's car as he
drove past them.
The demonstrators were protesting what they called Ban's refusal to
meet with them to discuss the situation of Palestinian prisoners in
Israeli jails.
Some held signs in English reading "Ban Ki-moon, enough bias for
Israel." Ban's convoy, briefly held up by the demonstrators, was able to
continue past the protest and onwards to Khan Yunis, where the UN chief
is scheduled to visit a school and a Japanese-funding housing project.
The top diplomat is visiting Gaza as part of a trip to Israel and the
Palestinian territories intended to help kickstart stalled negotiations.
AFP
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