MOSCOW, October 15 (RIA Novosti) - Mahmoud Zahar, one of the Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip, has condemned Ban Ki-moon for double standards and ambiguity after the UN Secretary-General's visit to Gaza and southern Israel, the Jerusalem Post reported Wednesday.
Zahar was referring to comments that Ban Ki-Moon made during his tour to the cross-border underground tunnels between the Gaza Strip and southern Israel, lamenting the threats that face residents of southern Israel.
Israel's "occupation's arsenal and nuclear reactor are far more dangerous than the tunnel he was talking about," the Jerusalem Post quoted Zahar as saying.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called on Ban Ki-moon to "stop the ambiguity" and take "serious action" in order to improve the situation in Gaza after he personally saw the level of destruction, the Jerusalem Post reported.
On Tuesday Ban Ki-moon expressed regret about the threats that residents of southern Israel face.
"I was shocked and alarmed by these underground tunnels which have been used for penetration for terrorist purposes. I have been particularly condemning these rocket attacks by Hamas from the air and also attacks through leftover tunnels, underground tunnels. This is unacceptable," Ban Ki-moon said at a press encounter in southern Israel Tuesday.
Before coming to southern Israel, the UN Secretary-General visited areas of the Gaza Strip, lamenting the destruction he saw.
"The destruction I have seen while coming here is beyond description. This is a much more serious destruction than what I saw in 2009," Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday after meeting ministers of the government of national consensus for Palestinians.
During his visit to the Gaza Strip and southern Israel on Tuesday the UN Secretary-General also pressed Israeli and Palestinian leaders to resume peace talks.
The Gaza Strip has been under the control of the Hamas government since 2007. Since then the group has been involved in several conflicts with Israel, which recognizes Hamas as a terrorist movement. The most recent 50-day war in June killed some 2,145 Palestinians and injured a further 11,200. On the Israeli side 64 soldiers and six civilians were killed. An open-ended ceasefire was agreed upon by Israel and the Palestinians on August 26.
