UNITED NATIONS, Jan 31 (APP): A top UN official has warned that the current crisis in the Middle East is overshadowing efforts to find a peace settlement to the Israel-Palestinian conflict as the Security Council focused on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip following Israel’s siege of the territory.
Briefing council members at the start of the debate on the Middle East on Wednesday, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe, said that recent events underscore the gap between “the aspirations of the political process and the grim realities of the situation on the ground.”
He added that continued efforts over the past month to progress along the Annapolis track were overshadowed by an intensification of violence in Gaza and southern Israel – which was combined with periods of total closure of the Gaza Strip and increased humanitarian suffering and violations of human rights.
“The crisis adds new urgency to the proposal of the Palestinian Authority to operate the Gaza crossings,” Pascoe said.
Reiterating the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s strong support for these proposals, he welcomed the recent Arab League and European Council resolutions to that end.
Pascoe also said the U.N. supports Egypt’s continuing efforts to find a peaceful and orderly solution along its border with Gaza.
While noting that levels of violence have been significantly reduced in the past week in Gaza and southern Israel, Pascoe said the U.N. remains concerned that 77 rockets and mortars were fired in the last week by Palestinian militants, and that there were also four Israeli incursions and air strikes on Gaza.
Referring to Wednesday’s decision by Israel’s Supreme Court, which declared legal the reductions to Gaza’s fuel and electricity supply, Pascoe reminded the council of the secretary-general’s previously stated concern that the 1.4 million residents of Gaza should not be punished for the unacceptable actions of militants and extremists.