2 yıl önce

UN 'alarmed' over increasing violence in Palestine, Israel

A UN representative for the Middle East Peace Process has urged all sides in Palestine and Israel, as well as the international community, to gear efforts towards a two-state solution.

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Forty-nine Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since mid-March and 11 Israelis and three foreign nationals have also been killed.

The UN's special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process has expressed alarm over the increasing violence in Palestine and Israel over the past few months and urged all parties to lower tensions.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on Monday to discuss the situation between Palestine and Israel, Tor Wennesland pointed to the recent uptick in violence in the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and Israel.

"In recent months, violence has continued at a high level, leading to scores of Palestinian and Israeli casualties," Wennesland told the Council.

He said 49 Palestinians have been killed in demonstrations, Israeli security operations and in settler-related violence since mid-March.

Wennesland also highlighted Palestinian attacks inside Israel in which 11 Israelis and three foreign nationals were killed.

"The firing of a rocket from Gaza towards Israel, the first since April, is also a concerning reminder of the fragility of the situation," said Wennesland, adding: "Mounting violence has been further fueled and exacerbated by provocative steps and inflammatory rhetoric.”

In his remarks, the UN coordinator called on parties to take immediate steps to reduce tensions and reverse negative trends for a peaceful two-state solution to the conflict.

"This will require not only specific actions to defuse crises and maintain calm but also redoubled efforts to strengthen the Palestinian Authority and support a broader strategy that can ensure that collective efforts by the parties and the international community are geared towards establishing a two-state reality," he added.