UN refugee chief seeks Gaza presence

The chief of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees called on the international community on Sept. 7 to provide Gaza with a peacekeeping force or mission of observers, saying Gaza's 1.4 million people deserve protection. Karen AbuZayd, the commissioner general for UN Relief and Works Agency, said a permanent solution must be found for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, perhaps by setting up a UN mission there. Conditions in Gaza have reached a breaking point, AbuZayd said, as a result of the recent Israeli military offensive and blockade there since the capture of an Israeli soldier on June 25. Jan Egeland, UN humanitarian chief, has called the situation there "a ticking time-bomb." Among the worst challenges Gazans face, AbuZayd said, is the closing of entry points to their country, like the Rafah border crossing to Egypt, which prevents the import and export of goods.