A candlelight vigil is held in memory of civilians killed in the Israeli regime aggression, Gaza, 25 May 2021. (Photo by LAT)

United Nations, May 31 (RHC)-- A United Nations official in Gaza has tendered an apology for his remarks that the recent Israeli airstrikes on the besieged strip appeared to have been carried out with “sophistication” and “precision.”

UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA) director Matthias Schmale had made the controversial remarks to Israel's Channel 12 on Sunday.  “I am not a military expert, but I also have the impression that there is a huge sophistication in the way that the Israeli military strikes struck over the last 11 days,” he was quoted as saying.  “Yes, they didn't hit, with some exceptions, civilian targets, but the viciousness, the ferocity of those strikes was heavily felt.”

Schmale hastened to add that the “precision was there but there was unacceptable and unbearable loss of life on the civilian side.”  His remarks were vehemently denounced by Palestinian rights groups, as well as regional countries.

Stung by the growing criticism, the UN official later apologized for his comments.  “I deeply regret that my comments about the precision of IDF strikes are being misused to justify what cannot be justified,” he said on Twitter.  “Killing children breaks the rules of war and must be independently investigated. There must not be impunity!”

Responding to a news report on Twitter, quoting his remarks, Schmale termed it “manipulative.”  “My issue is that the precise strikes of the sophisticated army killed more than 200 civilians including 20 children that went to UNRWA schools. This is unacceptable and cannot be white washed!” he wrote.

In another tweet, the UN official said he did not say the Israeli forces operated “within the laws of war.”  “Killing more than 200 civilians including innocent women & children is NOT acting within laws of war.  There must be independent investigation & accountability for those actions,” he remarked.