United Nations, Jan 28, SPA -- The United Nations Security Council was urged by the heads of two U.N. agencies on Tuesday to pursue an investigation into alleged war crimes committed during Israel’s 22-day offensive in Gaza.“Moves to investigate apparent contraventions of international law, including direct attacks on United Nations personnel and facilities, and accountability under law where breaches are established, must be pursued,” said Karen AbuZayd, commissioner general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in her remarks to the Council. AbuZayd, who was in Gaza for the first week of the offensive, and in Gaza again for a week after the ceasefire, told the Council that the people there were angry at both Israel and the international community.“There is rage against the attackers for often failing to distinguish between military targets and civilians and there is also resentment against the international community for having allowed first the siege and then the war to go on for so long,” AbuZayd said. She added that restoring primary healthcare and primary education were the immediate goals of UNRWA but warned that strengthening primary education would be “undermined if we fail to offer the children of Gaza a horizon of hope for a future free from fear, free from poverty and full of promise.”The head of the U.N.’s office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs also briefed the Council on his visit to Gaza last week.“Conversations with a range of Gazans brought out the psychological trauma, as civilians cowered for three weeks, without nowhere safe in Gaza and nowhere to flee to, and parents became horribly aware of their inability to protect their children,” said John Holmes, undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs. He also added his voice to the growing calls for an investigation into alleged war crimes. “It is clear there are major questions to be asked about the failure of the Israeli Defense Force to protect effectively civilians and humanitarian workers in Gaza. Given the scale and nature of the damage and the loss of life, there are also obvious concerns about a lack of respect for international humanitarian law,” Holmes said. “There must be accountability.”--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/630361