Today's Edition
NEW YORK (WAM)
Tor Wennesland, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, urged concerned parties to reach a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip in the coming days, stating that “there is simply no time to lose.”
He warned that failure to reach an agreement means that prospects for a more stable, peaceful and secure region will remain elusive.
In a briefing to the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, Wennesland said that the region is at an inflection point after more than 300 days of war in Gaza, adding that “a ceasefire and hostages release deal in Gaza is imperative now for regional peace and security.”
He reiterated the UN's committent and readiness to scale up humanitarian assistance during a ceasefire and supporting implementation of a deal. “Only a sustained ceasefire can enable a full-scale humanitarian and early recovery response in Gaza.”
Wennesland described the situation in the occupied West Bank as a “tinderbox of violence and tension”, noting that the war in Gaza and the deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank are continuing in the context of wider regional tensions and the threat of even more serious escalation.
He stressed the UN's support of regional de-escalation in discussions with the relevant parties and Member States in the region, including Lebanon, Egypt and Qatar, commending the mediators – Egypt, Qatar and the United States - for their continued relentless efforts in Doha and Cairo this week.
The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process concluded by emphasising that the only path out of these vicious cycles of despair is a political horizon that will end the occupation and achieve a two-State solution.
