By NNN-APP
United Nations : The UN Mideast envoy said Tuesday that the situation in Gaza was unacceptable and unsustainable in humanitarian, human rights, security and political terms.
“From what I have seen in several field visits, including to the West Bank, Gaza and southern Israel, ordinary people understandably have little confidence that the political process is delivering,” Robert Serry, the UN’s special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, told the UN Security Council.
In a briefing to the 15-member council, he stressed the need for the Annapolis process—launched at the Annapolis conference in the United States last November—to proceed and urged the international community to do everything possible to ensure that the parties move ahead in bilateral negotiations towards an agreement on all core issue without exception.
The Annapolis process could only be sustained, however, by real changes on the ground, he said.
A major intensification of efforts in the West Bank was required, including more substantial and urgent Israeli action and continued and intensified efforts by the Palestinian Authority, he said.
A different and more positive strategy for Gaza was a humanitarian, security and strategic imperative, for Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, he said.
He stressed that Israeli measures amounting to collective punishment were not acceptable, calling on Israel to meet its obligations towards the civilian population of Gaza under international law.
After the Islamic Hamas movement last June took control of Gaza—home to some 1.5 million Palestinians—Israel closed vital border crossings and restricted supplies to the territory.