NEW YORK, Aug 6 – Amid the ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian groups fighting in the Gaza Strip, United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon urged all the parties in the conflict to start the talks in Cairo for a lasting peace.
Ban, who released a statement through his spokesperson at the New York headquarters of the United Nations, said both Israelis and Palestinians had to address the underlying issues that continue to be the cause of the outbreak of conflict.
He praised specifically what he called the “proactive engagement” of the Palestinian delegation under the leadership of President Mahmoud Abbas, describing such talks as the “only way to sustainably stop the violence which has cost far too many lives, and to change the untenable and tragic status quo in Gaza”.
The secretary-general also welcomed the efforts leading to the materialisation of the latest ceasefire, and commended the parties for committing to observe a 72-hour ceasefire which began Tuesday at 8 am (1 pm in Malaysia). Ban emphasised that “everyone must abide by this new agreement”.
The latest statistics released here suggest a horrifying situation – in terms of loss of human life, injuries, destruction of property and the displacement of civilians.
Since the outbreak of the latest conflict on July 7, UN sources in New York say that at least 1,777 Palestinians have been killed, 85 per cent of whom were civilians.
The figures were compiled by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The casualties include 393 children and 208 women. The ceasefire affords the UN and its aid partners to replenish supplies in schools and other buildings that have been converted into makeshift shelters for the nearly 270,000 displaced people in the Gaza Strip.
According to a spokesperson of the UN Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the agency has been using the time to replenish food, water and other essentials for the 90 shelters the agency has set up in the area.
Chris Gunness, the spokesperson, in media interviews described the people as “deeply traumatised” and living in fear because even UN safe shelters were being hit. Before the current ceasefire began, Ban had strongly condemned on Monday the killing of at least 10 Palestinian civilians in shelling outside a UN school in Rafah which had been sheltering thousands of civilians.
– BERNAMA
