UN Official Warns of Rising Risks of War Resumption in Gaza

New York, October 15 (KUNA) -- Ramzy Akhras, the UN Acting Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, warned on Thursday that the risk of a return to war in the Gaza Strip has reached its highest level ever, calling on the international community to take decisive action to prevent a resumption of conflict.

Speaking in a virtual briefing from occupied Jerusalem before a session of the UN Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, Akhras stated that his duty compelled him to sound the “alarm bell” regarding the deteriorating conditions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

He clarified that, a year after the ceasefire in Gaza, many residents have seen little to no improvement in their living conditions, warning that the growing frustration and despair cannot continue indefinitely.

Akhras added that the West Bank has also reached a “boiling point,” amid ongoing threats to the safety and livelihoods of Palestinians and the forced displacement of communities into increasingly fragmented areas, thereby undermining the geographic basis for a future sovereign Palestinian state.

He emphasized that the ceasefire in Gaza must serve as the foundation for genuine recovery and a lasting political settlement, stressing the importance of ending the occupation across all occupied Palestinian territories.

He noted that the international community reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution during the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly this week, urging that this commitment be translated into coordinated and decisive actions on the ground. (End) E.S.T. / M.A.A.