Israel pays UN for Gaza war damage

Israel has paid $10.5m to the United Nations for property damage and injuries the world body suffered during Israel's war on Gaza a year ago, officials have said. "With this payment, the United Nations has agreed that the financial issues relating to those incidents ... are concluded," Martin Nesirky, a UN spokesman, said on Friday. A senior Israeli diplomat at the UN, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "We have decided to make an ex gratia [without liability] payment to the United Nations and we have indeed done it." A total of 53 installations used by the United Nations Relief and Works agency were damaged or destroyed during Israel's Gaza campaign including 37 schools, six health centres, and two warehouses.