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May 6, 2009 20:06 | Updated May 7, 2009 0:36 Peres: We won't apologize for Gaza op By ASSOCIATED PRESS Article's topics: Shimon Peres, Ban Ki-moon, Barack Obama, Operation Cast Lead, Gaza War Israel will not apologize for Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip, President Shimon Peres said Wednesday, acknowledging, however, that the IDF made some mistakes during the conflict. Peres: Israel prepared to negotiate peace with Syria and Palestinians Nonetheless, Peres said he thinks chances for Mideast peace "were improved" following his meeting in Washington on Tuesday with US President Barack Obama. The UN inquiry focused on nine attacks on UN schools, a health clinic and the world body's Gaza headquarters and found that Israeli weapons were responsible for seven of them. It accused Israel of gross negligence and recklessness and said the UN should demand compensation for property damage and for those who were killed and injured, and an acknowledgment from Israel that statements it made about several attacks were untrue. "We think it's outrageous. We shall never accept it. We don't think that we have to apologize because we have the right to defend the lives of our children and women," Peres told reporters after meeting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to convey Israel's anger about the board of inquiry's findings. RELATED a.. Israel blasts UN report on Cast Lead "We don't accept one word of what the board writes," Peres said. "They were unfair. They were one-sided." But the president said Israel is considering compensation and the government has appointed a group to study how to handle it. "I think the results will come very soon," said Peres. Peres claimed the UN inquiry went beyond its mandate of investigating the attacks on UN property and focused instead on "the whole situation in Gaza." Israel would not have participated if it had known the scope, he said. "We're outraged because they didn't mention Hamas," the president said. "If Hamas didn't shoot, there wouldn't be a single problem." Peres said the IDF didn't overstep in its use of white phosphorous, an incendiary substance whose use was criticized by the inquiry. He added that Israel never targeted civilians and made 250,000 phone calls to warn people he said were being used as "human shields" to leave their houses before Israeli attacks. Security Council diplomats said the UN report would be discussed by members during closed consultations on Thursday, when Libya was expected to circulate a draft resolution on its findings. Peres' visit to the UN came ahead of Monday's ministerial meeting of the Security Council aimed at giving new impetus to the Middle East peace process. Peres was upbeat about his meeting with Obama. "I was very much encouraged by president Obama, by his attitude," he said. "I think the chances for peace were improved."
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