AMMAN, Oct 13 (AFP - The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) demanded Wednesday that Israel apologise for wrongfully accusing it of allowing Palestinians to smuggle rockets in its ambulances.
And at the United Nations, Secretary General Kofi Annan chided Israel.
"I wish to have an apology," Peter Hansen told a meeting in Jordan of representatives of major donor countries to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees.
"I would like to see as much energy spent in withdrawing these accusations as there was energy in making them."
For his part, Annan's spokesman said in a statement that, "should any further issues arise, the secretary general expects the government of Israel to share with the United Nations, through normal diplomatic channels, any information it might have so that the matter may be properly investigated."
Their comments came after the Israeli army admitted it was wrong to accuse the agency of letting its ambulances be used by Palestinian militants to transport Qassam rockets in the Gaza Strip.
A diplomatic storm broke out between Israel and UNRWA earlier this month after the Israeli army released grainy footage of what it said was Palestinian militants loading a Qassam rocket into an UNRWA vehicle.
A UN team arrived in Israel to investigate the allegations, which sparked a furious war of words that culminated in demands for Hansen's dismissal on the grounds that he "hates Israel."
"After a thorough review of the material, the nature of the object loaded on the vehicle cannot be determined with certainty," the Israeli army said Tuesday. "Thus, the determination that the object loaded was a Qassam rocket was too unequivocal and made in haste."
Speaking to representatives of 28 major donor countries and the five host governments of Palesestinian refugees, Hansen appealed for "mutual respect and cooperation between Israel and UNRWA".
He described the situation in the Israeli-occupied Palestinan territories, particularly Gaza, as "very difficult" and urged donors "to come and see for yourselves.
"There is no substitute for that. Statistics (of death and destruction) are not enough," Hansen told an audience including delegates from Jordan, the United States, Japan and the European Union.
Hansen also urged donors to respond to UNRWA's latest emergency appeal, launched at the beginning of this year, for 209 million dollars to provide services to refugees in the occupied territories.
"We've received only 43 percent of the appeal. It is very disappointing and I don't know how much longer the refugees will continue to say they trust and rely on UNRWA," he said.
Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Halayka Halayka also appealed for greater support from the international community for UNRWA, which cares for more than four million refugees in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.
"I call upon ... the international community at large to support the agency and do everything possible to enable it to carry on its duty. I hope we can be innovative and think of new ways to support it," Halayka said.
But he warned that helping the refugees should not "jeopardise their right to return to their homeland".
During the meeting UNRWA, which faces a deficit of six million dollars out of its current annual budget of 351 million dollars, will outline a five-year plan of action.