Middle East at 'most dangerous juncture in decades,': UN envoy

HAMILTON, Canada

The UN Middle East peace process coordinator warned Tuesday about the "dangerous junction" in the Middle East amid the genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Saying that the Middle East region is "on the verge of yet another serious escalation," Tor Wennesland told the UN Security Council that "the violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and wider region shows no signs of abating."

"We are also at the most dangerous juncture in the Middle East in decades," said Wennesland, noting an Israeli airstrike Monday that left "at least 90 Palestinians missing or killed, including at least 25 children" in Beit Lahiya.

"This strike is yet another in a deadly series of recent mass casualty incidents in the north of Gaza," he said.

Describing the genocide in Gaza as a "horrific humanitarian nightmare," Wennesland stressed there is "a rapidly accelerated unraveling of the prospects for a sustainable resolution to this conflict."

Recalling his visit to Gaza last week, Wennesland said. "What I witnessed defies imagination."

"In and out of the Strip, I could only count two buildings. Two that were not totally or partly destroyed," he said.

Wennesland conveyed concerns about the "serious escalations" between Iran and Israel, and noted that hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel are "inflicting civilian casualties, massive displacement and destruction on both sides of the Blue Line."

"Israel has reportedly carried out dozens of airstrikes in Syria in the past month," he said, as he urged parties to practice all efforts to "de-escalate the situation and establish a different trajectory toward greater peace and stability in the region."

Denouncing the passing of a law by the Knesset (Israeli parliament) to ban the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Wennesland said it "not only undermine UN’ mandated work, but threaten to further set back a political resolution to the conflict on the basis of UN resolutions and international law."

"There can be no long-term solution in Gaza that is not political. There must be a path to end the occupation and achieve a two-state solution," he said.

The UN envoy further condemned Israel's "widespread killing and injury of civilians in Gaza, the endless displacement of the population in Gaza and shocking mistreatment of detainees."

Urging a "fundamental shift" to "improve humanitarian operations in Gaza," he also stressed the need to "establish a safe enabling environment, meet operational requirements including funding, and ensure that Israeli authorities facilitate access, that will allow for unimpeded movement of food, shelter materials for the winter, medicine, fuel, and the capacity to repair essential life-saving infrastructure."

He also noted the "deteriorating" situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem and said "violence continued at alarming levels."

"I call on Israel to protect the Palestinian population and to hold perpetrators of all violence accountable," he said.