West Bank approaching 'point of no return': Russia

Russia warned on Wednesday that the West Bank was approaching a “point of no return,” and that further escalation could destabilize the wider Middle East.

Russian UN Amb. Vassily Nebenzya attributed the trend to Israel’s “creeping expansion” in occupied Palestinian territories.

“The West Bank is approaching a point of no return, with risks of deep destabilization of the military and political situation throughout the region,” he said at a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East, including the Palestinian question/

He urged Israel to refrain from unilateral steps, including settlement activity, that could undermine prospects for a two-state solution.

The diplomat also urged Israel to take effective measures to curb settler violence and return to implementing relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.

Nebenzya also voiced concern about the situation in the Gaza Strip, saying implementation of the US peace plan for the enclave had effectively stalled.

He welcomed the role of mediators in helping halt large-scale fighting in Gaza but said the ceasefire continued to be violated, primarily by Israel.

Citing casualty figures, Nebenzya said nearly 1,300 Palestinians had been killed in less than a year since the ceasefire formally took effect, including almost 300 children, according to UNICEF reports.

The Russian envoy said the success of any peace initiative in the Middle East should ultimately be measured by whether it leads to the establishment of an independent and contiguous Palestinian state comprising the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

“The Palestinian question, as well as the entire complex of Middle Eastern issues, cannot be resolved in one stroke or through situational, closed-door schemes,” he said, arguing that sustainable stability required coordinated international and regional efforts.

Nebenzya also criticized attempts by "individual countries" to assume the role of the sole mediator in the conflict, particularly when the mediator "openly favors one side."

He said a lasting settlement should be based on the existing international legal framework and the principle of “two states for two peoples.”