The UN Security Council has urged Israel and the Palestinians to avoid actions that can further inflame tensions in the volatile West Bank.
Tuesday's statement followed what UN Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland called 'an alarming spike in violence' in the West Bank that led to numerous Palestinian and Israeli casualties.
The UN Security Council has urged Israel and the Palestinians to avoid actions that can further inflame tensions in the volatile West Bank.
The statement was backed by both the United States and Russia in a moment of unity on a divisive issue, reflecting the widespread international concern at the escalating violence especially by Israeli forces and settlers.
Tuesday's statement followed what UN Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland called 바카라an alarming spike in violence바카라 in the West Bank that led to numerous Palestinian and Israeli casualties.
He warned the council that 바카라unless decisive steps are taken now to rein in the violence, there is a significant risk that events could deteriorate further.바카라
Wennesland said he was particularly alarmed by 바카라the extreme levels of settler violence, including large numbers of settlers, many armed, systematically attacking Palestinian villages, terrorizing communities,바카라 sometimes with support from Israeli forces.
Council members called for restraint and 바카라encouraged additional steps to restore a durable calm and de-escalate tensions.바카라
This year has been one of the deadliest for Palestinians in the West Bank in years, and last week saw a major escalation in settler violence. At least 137 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank in 2023. As of Saturday, 24 people on the Israeli side have been killed in Palestinian attacks.
The United States, Israel's closest ally, supported the council statement and US deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the council that the Biden administration shares Wennesland's alarm.
He said the United Stated was 바카라horrified by the brutal terror attack against Israelis바카라 near the West Bank town of Eli on June 21 that killed four and injured several others and condemned it 바카라in the strongest terms.바카라 He also condemned 바카라the recent extremist settler attacks against Palestinian civilians, which have resulted in a death, injuries and significant damage to their property.바카라
At a time of escalating violence, there was widespread council criticism of plans by Israel's far-right government to build over 5,000 new homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and speed up settlement approvals.
Under international law, all Israeli settlements in occupied territory are illegal.
Wennesland warned that Israel's 바카라relentless expansion바카라 of settlements is fueling violence 바카라and is impeding access by Palestinians to their land and resources, reshaping the geography of the occupied West Bank and threatening the viability of a future Palestinian state.바카라
Wood called on Israel to refrain from building settlements, evicting Palestinians and demolishing their homes, and on both parties to refrain from terrorism and incitement to violence, 바카라all of which serve to only further inflame the situation.바카라
Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia also expressed serious concern at the escalating violence, pointing to an Israeli raid on June 19 in the Jenin Refugee Camp that killed seven Palestinians, clashes between Israeli settlers and Palestinians, and intensified Israeli activity to broaden and legalize settlements.
Nebenzia warned that the situation will remain 바카라explosive바카라 until negotiations resume on a two-state solution that sees Israel and the Palestinians living side by side in peace. And he reiterated Russia's call for a meeting with the Arab League and neighboring countries to give impetus to long-stalled talks.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, accused the Israeli government of 바카라making a state for the settlers in place of the Palestinian state.바카라 He said the settlers know their actions are condemned worldwide but they have military, financial and political support from the Israeli government, while the Palestinians have no real support to rein them in despite having 바카라the moral high ground" and international law on their side.
The Palestinians are more convinced every day that 바카라there is no help on the way,바카라 Mansour said, urging the council, 바카라Show them that help is on the way.바카라
Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan accused the council of underreporting the 3,500 attacks he said the Palestinians have committed against Israelis since the beginning of the year.
He condemned the violence against Palestinian civilians and said Israel is 바카라working tirelessly바카라 to find and hold those responsible accountable. He pointedly noted that the Palestinians have not condemned the murders of innocent Israelis.
Erdan accused the Palestinians of seeking 바카라the destruction of the very notion of a Jewish state." He said if Israel withdrew from the West Bank, the Hamas militant group would take control as it did in Gaza.