Special report: Israel launches Gaza assault    

     UNITED NATIONS, July 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed on Saturday for urgent action to alleviate the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza.

    Annan, who is paying his official visit to Berlin, Germany, said in a statement released by his spokesman that he is "extremely concerned about the dangerous situation in the occupied Palestinian Territory."

    "I am appealing for urgent action to alleviate the desperate humanitarian situation of the civilian population," he said.

    The secretary-general pointed out that Israeli air strikes on Gaza's only power plant have had a far-reaching impact on Gaza's hospitals, flour mills, water and sanitation systems.

    "The strict controls imposed during the past weeks on the passage of basic products into Gaza, including fuel, have aggravated the difficulties of the population," he noted.

    He thus called on the government of Israel to restore and maintain the continuous and uninterrupted supply of fuel to Gaza and to act expeditiously to replace the destroyed equipment at the Gaza power plant.

    "The passage of foodstuffs and other essential supplies through the Karni commercial crossing should be ensured and restrictions on movement and access for UN agencies should be lifted forthwith," Annan stressed, adding that such steps should be without prejudice to the need to implement in full the Access and Movement Agreement of Nov. 15, 2005.

    "I reiterate my appeal to all concerned to exercise maximum restraint and to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law," the UN chief concluded.

    Israeli forces launched massive ground offensive in the Gaza Strip on June 28 to rescue an Israeli soldier kidnapped by Palestinian militants and halt rocket fired from Gaza. Enditem