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Middle East Peace Envoy on Israel & Palestine (23 May 2018)

2,414 views · Published 23 May 2018 · 14:04 · Indexed 26 September 2026

Channel: United Nations · 2018 · News & Politics

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The Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, today (23 May) said the recent violence at the Israel-Gaza border was “a reminder that Gaza is on the verge of collapse, that its people – who have lived for more than a decade under the control of Hamas, with crippling Israeli closures and with diminishing hopes for an end to the occupation and a political solution, and who have survived three devastating conflicts – are increasingly desperate.”

Briefing the Security Council by video teleconference, Mladenov said, “we must act urgently to avoid another war, to alleviate the suffering of people and to empower the Palestinian Government to take up its responsibilities in Gaza.” 

Mladenov said, “Israel has the responsibility to calibrate its use of force, to not use lethal force except as a last resort under imminent threat of death or serious injury. It must protect its citizens, but it must do so proportionally and investigate every incident that has led to a loss of human life. 

Hamas, he said, “must not use the protests as cover to attempt to place bombs at the fence and create provocations; its operatives must not hide among the demonstrators and risk the lives of civilians.”

The Special Coordinator said “if we are able to move quickly, we will reduce the chances of military confrontation and another devastating conflict. We will create the conditions for relaxing movement and access restrictions and preserve the fraying links between Gaza and the West Bank. We will also support Egyptian reconciliation efforts. And, most importantly perhaps, we will provide much needed breathing space for ordinary Gazans. 

Ultimately, he said, these efforts are meant to strengthen – not replace – overarching political objectives: the unification of Gaza and the West Bank under a single, democratic and legitimate Palestinian authority in line with the Quartet Principles; and an end to the occupation and resolution of the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” 

Mladenov said, “we must break this cycle or risk more lethal consequences. Gaza is an integral part of the larger puzzle. Ultimately, the success of any initiative in Gaza is linked to a credible political horizon that unites all Palestinians. At the same time, we cannot ignore the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where settlement construction continues and the situation remains fragile. Nor can we lose sight of the broader political picture and the need to bring the sides back to the negotiating table.”

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