UN Gaza relief chief summoned after comments over Israeli air strikes

Protests erupted in the territory over comments by UNRWA Gaza chief Matthias Schmale

A boy rides his bicycle amid the rubble of destroyed homes in Beit Hanoun, Gaza. Getty

Life resumes amid the rubble of destroyed homes in Beit Hanoun, Gaza. Getty

A Palestinian man tries to put his home back in order after Israeli air strikes on Beit Hanoun, Gaza. Getty

A Palestinian girl stands amid the rubble of her destroyed home in Beit Hanoun, Gaza. Getty

A Palestinian woman puts her house back in order after Israeli aerial raids over the past couple of weeks in Beit Hanoun, Gaza. Getty

Life resumes amid the rubble of destroyed homes in Beit Hanoun, Gaza. Getty

Palestinian children resume life amid the rubble of destroyed homes in Beit Hanoun, Gaza. Getty

Palestinians in Gaza city sit in a tent set up on top of the ruins of a building destroyed in Israeli air strikes. Getty

Palestinians sit in a tent that has been set up on top of the ruins of a building destroyed in recent Israeli air strikes, in Gaza city. AFP

A Palestinian child attends a rally in Gaza city amid the ruins of houses destroyed by Israeli strikes. AFP

The Gaza director of the UN agency that deals with Palestinian refugees has been summoned for consultations with his bosses in Jerusalem after angering Palestinians with comments they said favoured Israel during last month's fighting.

Protests erupted in the territory over the comments by UNRWA Gaza chief Matthias Schmale in an interview with Israel's N12 television on May 22, in which he said he did not dispute Israel's assertion that its air strikes were precise.

Eleven days of conflict between Israel and Hamas began on May 10. More than 250 Palestinians were killed in hundreds of Israeli air strikes in Gaza. More than 4,000 rockets, many intercepted, fired by Gaza militants killed 13 people in Israel.

Hamas, the militant group that rules the enclave, described Mr Schmale as "a spokesman for the Israeli military".

Mr Schmale, who is based in Gaza, apologised for his remarks in which he was commenting on the ferocity of the air strikes and said, " … precision was there but there was unacceptable and unbearable loss of life on the civilian side".

Sami Mshasha, UNRWA's spokesman in Jerusalem, said on Wednesday that Mr Schmale and his deputy had been “called in for consultation and discussion at the Jerusalem headquarters over the latest developments in Gaza”.

Another official told Reuters that Deputy Commissioner General Leni Stenseth would temporarily lead the Gaza team.

UNRWA provides education, health and relief services to about 5.7 million registered Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

"In the coming few weeks, UNRWA will review the emergency response mechanism in Gaza to determine lessons and conclusions to improve UNRWA's response and performance during times of crisis and emergency," Mr Mshasha said.

In a statement on May 25, Mr Schmale said in apology: “There is no justification whatsoever for killing civilians.

“Military precision and sophistication are never a justification for war.”

Israel's foreign ministry said its forces acted "in accordance with international law, in defending our citizens from Hamas's indiscriminate rocket fire".