INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION (ITUC)

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ITUC Deplores Beit Hanoun Killings

Brussels, 10 November 2006 (ITUC OnLine) : The ITUC strongly deplores the killing of 18 civilians, including several women and young children, resulting from the bombardment of Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military on 8 November.

The ITUC notes the admission by the government of Israel that a “technical error” was the cause of the bombardment, and calls on the Israeli authorities to take every step to ensure that such “technical errors” do not occur again in the future.

International humanitarian law imposes the obligation on all parties to conflicts to minimise dangers to civilian populations – this was clearly not the case last Wednesday, and civilians on both sides continue to bear the brunt of the conflict.

The ITUC calls upon all the parties involved to re-start, without delay, serious negotiations in order to obtain an equitable and sustainable solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, and will do all in its power to contribute to the realization of such a solution.

On November 1, the ITUC represents 168 million workers in 154 countries and territories and has 307 national affiliates.

For more information, contact the ITUC Press Department on +32 2 224 0220.