United Nations: The UN Security Council has called for an “immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire” between Israel and Palestine, asking the parties to implement the truce beyond the Muslim holiday of Eid and allow delivery of urgently needed assistance in Gaza as the raging conflict has killed over 1,000 people.
The 15-nation Security Council held an emergency meeting late last night to adopt the presidential statement that expressed support for “an immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire, allowing for the delivery of urgently needed assistance” in Gaza.
The statement, drafted by Jordan, “urged all parties to accept and fully implement the humanitarian ceasefire into the Eid period and beyond” and “calls on parties to engage in efforts to achieve a durable and fully respected ceasefire, based on the Egyptian initiative”.
It said that a humanitarian cease-fire would allow for the delivery of urgently needed assistance in Gaza. The statement calls for “full respect” for international humanitarian law and reiterates “the need to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety and well-being of civilians and their protection”.
The Council expressed “grave concern regarding the deterioration in the situation as a result of the crisis related to Gaza and the loss of civilian lives and casualties.” It “emphasises that civilian and humanitarian facilities, including those of the UN must be respected and protected”.
Earlier, welcoming the broadly observed 12-hour humanitarian pause in the Gaza conflict, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had renewed his appeal to all parties to declare a week-long ceasefire as a prelude to restarting political negotiations.
The deadly 20-day conflict has killed 1,030 Palestinians and 46 Israelis.
The Council welcomed the efforts of international partners and the convening of the international meeting to support the ceasefire held in Paris on July 26 and urged all concerned regional and international parties to vigorously support efforts to consolidate an agreement between the parties.
A statement yesterday by Ban’s spokesperson said that there were countless images of Gazans trying to return to their daily lives while taking care of their wounded and attending to the dead during the pause that ended on Saturday. “These images make it clear that we owe to the people of both Israel and Gaza our renewed effort to consolidate this pause in fighting into a more sustainable ceasefire,” it said.
“The Secretary-General therefore urgently appeals once again to all parties to declare a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza as a prelude to renewing a political process as the only way of achieving a durable peace,” it had said, adding that Ban strongly urged the parties to extend the humanitarian pause. Last week, Ban wrapped up a six-day mission to the region by stressing that it is time for the parties to stop fighting and start talking.
“There is no military solution to addressing the grievances and all parties must find a way to dialogue,” he had said in Cairo. He said that the ongoing fighting emphasises the need to finally end the 47-year-old occupation and the “chokehold” on Gaza, ensure security based on mutual recognition, and achieve a viable two-state solution by which Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security, side by side.
Ban has reiterated that any peace effort that does not tackle the root causes of the crisis will do little more than “set the stage for the next cycle of violence”. According to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the latest Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which is home to 1.8 million people, has left hundreds dead and thousands injured. Over 170,000 people have sought shelter in UNRWA schools, “facing uncertainty, anguish and risks to their lives,” the agency said in a news release.
However A relative calm prevailed in Gaza on Monday after Israel reduced its assaults in the coastal strip and rocket fire from Hamas also declined considerably even as both the US and the UN called for a durable ceasefire. (PTI)
