Saudi Arabia allocates SR10 billion to activate Standard Incentives Program for the industrial sector    SFDA warns against using Country Butcher Boy Beef Pepperoni due to Listeria contamination    Saudi funding to establish 2 hospitals in Tunisia    Over 16 million people visit Riyadh Season in 3 months    Crown Prince calls Lebanese President Aoun; invite him to visit Saudi Arabia    Al-Ahli defeats Al-Shabab 3-2 in Saudi Pro League thriller    Mel Gibson says his home burned down in LA fires    Violent protests in China after student falls to his death    Viral plea on social media saves Chinese actor from Myanmar's scam centers    Donald Trump spared jail and fine in New York hush money sentencing    Karim Benzema reconnects with Real Madrid roots during visit to their base in Jeddah    Real Madrid sets up Spanish Super Cup final clash with Barcelona in Saudi Arabia    Al Nassr stages comeback to defeat Al-Okhdood 3-1 in Saudi Pro League match    Al-Jasser inaugurates phased operation of Terminal 1 at Riyadh airport    SFDA warns of potential risks associated with high doses of Ginseng    GASTAT: Industrial Production Index rises by 3.4% in November 2024    Al-Qaryan Group begins 125,000 m2 decommissioning project for Ibn Rushd in Yanbu    Oscar nominations postponed because of LA fires    Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 to witness first-ever display of full kiswah of Kaaba outside Makkah city    Demi Moore continues comeback with Golden Globe win    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



'Political solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflcit only way to end senseless cycles of violence'
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 27 - 05 - 2021

Only a political solution will end the "senseless and costly cycles of violence" between Israelis and Palestinians, UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland said in a briefing to the Security Council on Thursday.
Ambassadors met in person in New York as a fragile cessation of hostilities continues to hold, following 11 days of deadly conflict this month which engulfed the Occupied Palestinian Territory and several cities across Israel.
"These recent events have made clear once again the costs of perpetual conflict and lost hope", said Wennesland, officially the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.
He spoke via teleconference from Jerusalem, and shortly after the UN and partners announced a $95 million flash appeal to support people in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Political and humanitarian response
Wennesland stressed the need for the sides to return to the negotiating table, though warning against a "business as usual" approach.
"At the end, it is the lack of the proverbial 'light at the end of the tunnel' — of a political horizon — after decades of conflict, that kills hope and provides space for those not interested in sustainable peace," he said.
"Only through negotiations that end the occupation and create a viable two-State solution, on the basis of UN resolutions, international law, and mutual agreements, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States, can we hope to bring a definitive end to these senseless and costly cycles of violence."
"Hell on Earth"
The latest conflict between Israel and armed groups in Gaza was among the most intense hostilities witnessed in years.
Wennesland reported that Hamas and other militants fired more than 4,000 rockets from Gaza, a significant number of which were intercepted by Israel's air defense system, Iron Dome, while Israel carried out over 1,500 strikes against what it said were militant targets.
The UN estimates more than 250 Palestinians were killed, including whole families, with 66 children among the victims. In Israel, 13 people have killed: nine civilians, two of them children, as well as three foreigners and a soldier.
Relentless airstrikes forced some 70,000 people in Gaza to seek refuge in schools run by the UN agency which assists the Palestinian people, UNRWA.
Staff who ventured out daily amid the fighting to help them described the period as "hell on earth," said UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini, speaking from its headquarters in East Jerusalem.
Strengthen UN agency
Lazzarini was in Gaza earlier this week. He said practically everyone he met reported feeling terrified and traumatized.
"I met parents who, every night, asked themselves whether to have all their children sleep near them or to spread them around the house", he said. "Should they all die together? Or should they try to save some by scattering them?"
Lazzarini stated that until there is a political solution to the conflict, only a strong UNRWA can bring "a sense of normality" into the lives of Palestinians. He underscored the need for reliable and sufficient funding for its work in delivering essential services, such as education.
The UN and partners said at least 57 schools, nine hospitals and 19 primary health care centers were either partially or completely damaged in the fighting, which occurred as Gaza's embattled health system was dealing with the burden of COVID-19.
Building back Gaza
The $95 million appeal, launched in Jerusalem on Thursday, targets one million people over the next three months, in the areas of protection, health, water and sanitation, education and food security.
Speaking to journalists in New York, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lynn Hastings, noted that while buildings can be repaired, the concern is over how repeated conflicts impact the psycho-social well-being of Gazans, particularly children.
"But while the immediate needs on the ground have been outlined in the flash appeal launched today...all of us need to ensure that we are not repeating the mistakes that keep bringing us back to having to rebuild Gaza", she said. — UN news


Clic here to read the story from its source.