Israeli force in Gaza is "excessive": U.N.'s Ban

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday condemned what he called Israel's "disproportionate and excessive" use of force in the Gaza Strip.

In an emergency meeting of the Security Council called to discuss an upsurge in Israeli-Palestinian fighting, Ban also condemned the relentless Palestinian rocket attacks against southern Israel.

Israeli forces killed 61 people in the Gaza Strip, making Saturday the bloodiest day for Palestinians since an uprising against Israeli occupation began in 2000. Two Israeli soldiers were killed in the fighting.

"While recognizing Israel's right to defend itself, I condemn the disproportionate and excessive use of force that has killed an injured so many civilians, including children," Ban told an emergency session of the council.

"I call on Israel to cease such attacks," he said.

Ban said there had been 26 Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel on Saturday alone.

"I condemn Palestinian rocket attacks and call for the immediate cessation of such acts of terrorism," he said.

The permanent Palestinian observer to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, said Israel's actions, including the closure of all border crossings into Gaza, were war crimes.

"Such actions are clearly prohibited by international law and are being committed by the occupying power on a scale and scope amounting to war crimes," Mansour told the council.

Israel's Deputy Ambassador Daniel Carmon dismissed the idea that the Jewish state was guilty of war crimes.

He said the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in June 2007, was to blame for the situation in Gaza because it was behind the rocket attacks.

"Hamas bears sole responsibility for the violence," Carmon told the council.

LIBYAN DRAFT RESOLUTION

The emergency council meeting was called by Security Council member Libya on behalf of the Arab League and at the request of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Libyan delegation circulated a draft resolution to council members condemning Israel.