By NNN-KUNA,
United Nations : A UN official has said that although the peace process in the Middle East is still continuing, developments on the ground remain the biggest challenge to building lasting peace.
Addressing the Security Council Tuesday in its monthly meeting on the situation in the Middle East, Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe said “unfortunately, recent developments in the occupied Palestinian territory and in Israel underscore that the gap between the political tracks and the situation on the ground remain large, posing considerable obstacles to the path that lies ahead.”
He called for tangible improvements in the living conditions and security of civilians to give them faith in the political process.
One way to improve the situation on the ground, he suggested, is for the Quartet — UN, US, EU and Russia — to push the process forward in this time of transition, recalling that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has already urged President-elect Barack Obama to engage early in this regard.
Pascoe urged the Israeli authorities to stop house demolitions in the West Bank and that no unilateral actions be taken in Jerusalem which undermine confidence or alter the status quo in the city.
He also expressed concern over reports of human rights abuse committed in the Gaza under the de facto Hamas regime, which has also apparently strengthened its contol, divorcing Gaza’s institutions from those of the Palestinian Authority.
He depicted a grim picture of the situation in Gaza because of the Israeli blockade and noted that major news agencies have protested to the Israeli government that foreign and Israeli media have not been allowed entry for over two weeks.