UNITED NATIONS, Sept 18: The United Nations said it will protest to Israel after Israeli soldiers fired shots on Wednesday near a UN refugee agency delegation visiting a Palestinian camp in the Gaza Strip.

UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said representatives of donor countries and Palestinian officials leaped for cover in the Rafah refugee camp after the shots were fired but no one was injured.

The delegation’s visit was organised by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and Eckhard said “UNRWA will be filing an official complaint with the Israeli authorities.”

“Earlier today in the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip, Israeli defence force soldiers fired warning shots in the direction of a delegation of officials from UNRWA which was led by commissioner general of UNRWA Peter Hansen,” said Eckhard.

“The delegation which also included representatives of several donor countries and Palestinian Authority officials was visiting an area of the camps where refugees homes had previously been destroyed by the Israeli army, when the Israeli soldiers fired warning shots from a nearby outpost.

“No one was injured but members of the delegation were forced to take cover immediately and to end their visit,” he added.

According to the spokesman, the refugee agency had earlier handed over 97 new shelters to the camp to help those whose houses have been destroyed by the Israeli army.

PERES: The countries of the Middle East have five years in which to choose between peace and nuclear bombs, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said on Wednesday.