Data from the United Nations’ envoy to the Middle East, shows that over two hundred Israelis and Palestinians have been killed this year, as a result of an unending animosity between the two warring nations.
Addressing the UN Security Council, the UN Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland stated that, more than 200 Palestinians and over 30 Israelis have so far perished in occupied West Bank and Israel. This is the biggest amount of casualties since 2005, as compared to other data.
Wennesland noted that, the violence has prolonged as a result of no sign of independence processes for the Palestinian people, forcing them to fight for something they perceive as their own destiny.
“Palestinians and Israelis are killed and injured in near-daily violence –including just hours before this briefing when another fatal shooting attack killed an Israeli in the West Bank.
“The lack of progress towards a political horizon that addressed the core issues driving the conflict has left a dangerous and volatile vacuum, filled by extremists on all sides.”
Tor Wennesland, UN Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace Process.
Wennesland further claimed that, though, leaders of the two conflicting nations desire to make efforts to bring down the violence, individualistic tendencies have always fueled assaults seen in the occupied West Bank and Israel.
Moreover, contributing to the problem, Wennesland categorically stated that, Israelis continuous illegal settlement in the West Bank, military operations in controlled-Palestinian regions, and the continuous assault on Palestinian villages, would always remain the triggers of increased violence in the region.
Also, the UN official revealed that, Palestinian militant activities and the weakened financial status of the Palestinian ruling authority have also heightened the situation at hand.
Additionally, Wennesland pointed to the budgetary cut of UN agency for Palestinian refugees, as another obstacle preventing them from undertaking their duties.
“While we must urgently focus on addressing the most critical issues and on de-escalating the situation on the ground, we cannot ignore the need to restore a political horizon.”
“The Council members were clear today that the violence must stop. I urge leaders to act now to calm the situation. This spiral of violence is leading nowhere but to more bloodshed.”
Tor Wennesland, UN Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace Process.
According to the United State Ambassador to the UN, and the presiding chairwomen of the said meeting, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, there must be an immediate action to halt the violence form reaching its apex. She however, pledged her support for the two warring factions.
Also, Dmitry Polyanskiy, the Russian deputy UN ambassador stated that, Israel’s continuous assault on the Palestinian people, cannot alter changes in an already established fact, that authority over the West Bank, is for Palestinians.
He asserted that, the unilateral actions of Israel has contributed to a prolonged demise of peace negotiations.
Furthermore, France’s political coordinator for the United Nations, Isis Jaraud-Darnault denounced Israel’s continuous destruction of Palestinian houses and infrastructures, funded by European nations.
Darnault further stressed that, a key step toward ending the decades of bloodshed among Israel and Palestinians is that, the United Nations and its regional players, have an undeniable role to play, by establishing “a credible political horizon.”
“The normalization of relations between Israel and several states in the region contributes to stability and security.”
“But this dynamic will remain incomplete as long as it is not accompanied by a resumption of the political process towards a solution that meets the legitimate aspirations of both Palestinians and Israelis.”
Isis Jaraud-Darnault, France’s UN Political Coordinator.
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