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CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE-EAST
UN SECURITY
COUNCIL DISCUSSES SITUATION IN MIDDLE-EAST
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Michael
C. Williams, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process
and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the
Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority,
briefs the Security Council on the situation in the Middle-East,
including the question of Palestine, at UN Headquarters in New
York | 20 June 2007 | UN Photo# 148045/Evan Schneider
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•••
UN
ENVOY CALLS MIDDLE EAST "HIGHLY VOLATILE":
21/6/2007
•••
UN:
RESTRICTIONS ON GAZA CROSSINGS HURT PALESTINIANS: 22/6/2007
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UN ENVOY CALLS MIDDLE EAST
"HIGHLY VOLATILE": 21/6/2007 (MaximsNews.com,
U.N.)
UNITED NATIONS - / www.MaximsNews.com@
U.N./
- 21
June 2007 –
Hamas’ violent seizure of de facto political authority in
Gaza, the demise of the Palestinian National Unity Government and the
declaration of a state of emergency by President Mahmoud Abbas have created new
political realities and worrying conditions across the occupied Palestinian
territory, the United Nations Middle East envoy warned today.
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Addressing an open
meeting of the Security Council, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle
East Peace Process Michael Williams also said that renewed violence has
threatened the stability of Lebanon and that Israel has faced fresh rocket
attacks on its northern front.
“The region as a
whole is highly volatile and unstable, overshadowing efforts to make
political progress,” Mr. Williams said during his briefing on the Middle
East’s latest developments.
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Describing Hamas’
takeover of control in the Gaza Strip as “well planned and executed,” he
condemned “the brutal violence… and the attacks on the legitimate
institutions of President Abbas and the PA [Palestinian Authority] government”
as totally unacceptable and said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon regretted the
failure of the National Unity Government.
“Despite what has
happened, Gaza and the West Bank remain one Palestinian territory, legally
administered by one Palestinian Authority headed by President Abbas, who has
appointed an emergency government led by Prime Minister [Salam] Fayyad.”
Mr. Williams said it
was now vital that Israel and the international community immediately deliver
political and financial support to Mr. Abbas and the Palestinian government,
including by releasing all previously withheld Palestinian customs and tax
revenue.
“What is also needed
is action on previous Israeli commitments, including the evacuation of
settlement outposts, removal of roadblocks and checkpoints and release of
prisoners. Equally, Fatah and the PA should act on previous commitments, not
only to end violence, but to thoroughly reform its institutions.”
The UN’s most
immediate humanitarian concern is to re-open the crossings between Israel and
Gaza for commercial and humanitarian imports, the envoy told the Council,
especially as the situation in Gaza has stabilized and food and medical
shortages there have mounted.
In response later to a
question from journalists, Mr. Williams welcomed Israel’s move this morning to
allow a number of people seeking urgent medical care to cross from Gaza.
The UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
said that crossing points into and out of Gaza remain largely closed, and
increasing food shortages are expected in the coming weeks.
Under-Secretary-General
for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes called on Israel and the Palestinian
authorities to regularize access for essential goods to prevent a further
deterioration of the situation.
The World Food
Programme (WFP)
reported that seven of its trucks successfully crossed into Gaza yesterday, and
another nine trucks crossed today, carrying basic commodities. A separate truck
brought medical supplies yesterday as well.
The UN Children’s
Fund (UNICEF) is aiming to send vaccines
and medical and emergency kits, as well as fuel for urgent sanitation and water
needs, to Gaza.
Turning to Lebanon in
his briefing, Mr. Williams expressed concern about last week’s assassination
of the lawmaker Walid Eido and nine others in a Beirut bombing, and the
continuing violence between the Lebanese Armed Forces and Fatah el-Islam gunmen
at a Palestinian refugee camp in the north of the country.
He also noted that two
Katyusha rockets were fired on Sunday from southern Lebanon at the northern
Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, causing minor damage but no casualties, and
called it “a most serious violation” of the Security Council resolution
ending last year’s war between the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Hizbollah.
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Labels: United
Nations, U.N.,
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