A/HRC/12/48
page 135
557. One white phosphorous container shell or a substantial part thereof came through a wire
fence at the top of the southern boundary of the compound near the spare parts and workshop
area, causing damage to a vehicle there.
558. One white phosphorous container shell landed in the workshop embedding itself in the
concrete.
559. One white phosphorous container shell or a substantial part thereof came through the roof
of the painting bay.
560. One white phosphorous container shell or a substantial part thereof struck a manhole
cover near small warehouses storing food.
561. One white phosphorous container shell struck near a generator on concrete ground.
562. Seven of the ten strikes occurred in an area smaller than a standard football pitch. The
whole area, including the three other strikes on or near the Gaza Training Centre, would be no
more than two football pitches.
563. The precise moment when each of the strikes occurred cannot be stated with certainty but
all occurred between 8 a.m. and 12 noon.
4.
Communications and responses
564. For the purposes of liaison with the Israeli authorities, the counterpart of the United
Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) is the Coordinator of Government Activities
in the Territories (COGAT). This is a unit within the Israeli Ministry of Defense. In Gaza the
day-to-day liaison and coordination activity with COGAT is carried out by the Coordination and
Liaison Administration (CLA), located on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing. CLA is the
military unit responsible for the coordination of access to and from Gaza in connection with the
facilitation of civilian and humanitarian needs. DSS at the time routinely liaised with COGAT
through CLA.
565. From 27 December until 2 January DSS communicated with COGAT/CLA by telephone
and by e-mail. The Mission is in possession of the names of the Israeli officers with whom such
contact was established and maintained. In the second phase of the conflict, COGAT
intervention increased and new personnel added to their capacity. Two new contacts were added
to those already established.
566. The most comprehensive list of relevant data was forwarded to COGAT/CLA on 3 April
2008, including all United Nations installations. As of 29 December 2008 COGAT/CLA had
been provided with an updated list of the coordinates of all United Nations offices, international
residences and pre-identified possible emergency shelters. Throughout the military operations
DSS was in almost daily communication, providing detailed information on coordinates of
relevant emergency shelters and distributions centres. The Mission has been shown the relevant
log of all such communications.
567. On the day in question DSS made at least seven phone calls to COGAT/CLA counterparts
between 8.14 a.m. and 1.45 p.m. These conversations addressed, for instance, the proximity of
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