The U.N. Middle East envoy said on Friday Israel's West Bank offensive had badly damaged Palestinian abilities to provide security in the area and helped fuel the "terrorism" Israel has said it is fighting.
Terje Roed-Larsen also said the West Bank economy, already ailing after 18 months of Palestinian-Israeli violence, had been paralyzed by the more than three-week-old offensive and required a major international donor effort to revive it.
"We must recognize that we are in a situation in which the capacity of the Palestinian Authority to manage security issues is greatly diminished, and in some areas totally destroyed," he said.
Larsen, who repeated his condemnation of "terrorism" such as suicide attacks, told a news conference the campaign had been counter-productive.
"Israel's operation may have dismantled the physical infrastructure of terrorism, but this is easily rebuilt. And meanwhile the mental infrastructure of terrorism is building up -- the mentality of hate and confrontation -- and this is very difficult to undo," Larsen said.
Meanwhile, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson Friday called off her fact-finding mission to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, alleging a lack of cooperation by Israel.
In a statement, Robinson said she would still present a report on the "deteriorating situation" in the occupied Palestinian territories to the U.N.'s top human rights forum before the end of next week.
The 53-member state body, holding its annual six-week session through April 26, Monday condemned Israel for "mass killings" of Palestinians and demanded an end to Israel's military incursions.
Robinson was asked to investigate reported killings and other abuses by Israeli troops during its military offensive in the West Bank as well as Palestinian suicide attacks in Israel. (Albawaba.com)
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