De-escalation of the Palestine-Israel conflict is “an absolute
must” said the UN Secretary-General on Wednesday, declaring that
the mounting death toll, including children, was totally
unacceptable.
Speaking in Moscow
after meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister, António Guterres
said that an end to the violence, which has seen more than 50
Palestinians killed along with six Israelis since Monday,
according to news reports, was needed “to protect the lives of
civilians that are now dying in totally unacceptable
circumstances”.
Meanwhile, in New York, the renewed conflict represents the most
serious escalation between Israelis and Palestinians “in years”,
the UN Special Coordinator for the region told the Security Council.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, briefed reporters in New York
at the regular noon press conference, on the update given by
Tor Wennesland to the
Council, which met behind closed doors.
End the shelling, exercise restraint
“We are very concerned by the growing civilian casualties in both
Gaza ad Israel and deeply saddened by reported deaths of children
in Gaza”, said Mr. Dujarric, adding that both the
Secretary-General and Mr. Wennesland have both reiterated that
“Hamas and other militants’ indiscriminate launching of rockets
and mortars from highly populated civilian neighbourhoods towards
civilian population centres violates international humanitarian
law, and it is unacceptable and has to stop immediately.”
The Spokesperson said the Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace
Process had also told ambassadors that Israeli authorities must
“abide by their responsibilities under international law and that
Israeli security forces should exercise maximum restraint,
calibrate their use of force to spare civilians and civilian
objects in the conduct of military operations.”
Guterres ‘appalled’ at child deaths
The Secretary-General is “particularly appalled that children
continue to be victims of violence”, said Mr. Dujarric, adding
that youngsters needed to be given special protection.
“He and his Envoy have called on the international community to
take action to enable the parties to step back from the brink and
return to the previous understandings that have maintained a
relative calm in Gaza and avoid a descent into chaos, with the
massive casualties and immense damage to civilian infrastructure
that would result”, added the UN Spokesperson.
Mr. Wennesland reminded Council members that it is the civilian
population on both sides, that bears the burden of war and that
the most vulnerable are at the ones at greatest risk of
suffering.
He also told the Council that the cycle of violence would only
end with a political resolution of the conflict, an end to the
occupation and a realization of a two-State solution on the basis
of UN resolutions, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.
The Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Henrietta Fore,
said on Wednesday that
at least 14 children in Palestine and one child in Israel have
been reported killed since Monday.
‘Dangerous tipping point’
She noted that another 95 children in Gaza and the West Bank –
including East Jerusalem – and three children in Israel have
reportedly been injured in the past five days.
“The situation is at a dangerous tipping point. The level of
violence and its impact on children is devastating. We are on the
brink of a full-scale war. In any war, children – all children –
suffer first and suffer most.”
She urged all sides to “protect all civilians, especially
children, to spare essential civilian infrastructure from
attacks, and to end violations against children.”
