An overview of the open debate (Photo: VNA) He urged the Israeli authorities to refrain from the use ofexcessive force, especially of live ammunition against civilians, saying that“the rhetoric and provocative actions that contributed to the dangerousdynamics on the ground must stop”.
Pointing to the root causes of the conflict, Quy said theincident in the illegal outpost of Evyatar last week was a typical example ofhow settlement activities can spark violence and called upon Israel to end suchactivities immediately and respect the historical significance and status quoof the holy cities of Jerusalem.
The lack of progress in the peace process has underminedremaining hopes for peace, he said, welcoming recent positive signals towardsdialogue and urging the parties’ leaders to revitalise the peace process.
Particularly concerned about the plight of children duringdecades of conflict, Quy called on the relevantauthorities and the international community to redouble their efforts to stopthe violence and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, which ismore critical than ever for Palestinian civilians, particularly in Gaza.
Many speakers urged the parties involved to exercise maximumrestraint during the current, highly fragile period, and asked them to refrainfrom any provocative actions that could further heighten tensions.
Lynn Hastings, Deputy Special Coordinator for the MiddleEast Peace Process, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, outlinedurgent assistance being provided by the United Nations and its partners on theheels of 11 days of clashes in Gaza two months ago.
She said that, beyond the human tragedy for bothPalestinians and Israelis, a recent Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment by theUnited Nations, European Union and the World Bank estimated the physical damageto Gaza to be between 290 million USD and 380 million USD, and additional economiclosses to reach up to 200 million USD.
Calling on Israel to allow the unhindered entry of allhumanitarian aid, she also called on Hamas and other armed groups to stoplaunching incendiary devices, rockets and mortars and end their militantbuild-up./.
VNA
