United Nations Secretary General Urges End To Middle East Fighting

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, speak to reporters Monday July 28, 2014, about his recent trip to the Middle East and the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Photo:Hayden Roger Celestin

News Americas, UNITED NATIONS, NY, Tues. July 29, 2014: As Muslims around the world yesterday marked Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan and a time for overcoming differences, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon,urged Israelis and Palestinians to stop the fighting now at a press briefing at UN Headquarters yesterday.

While stressing that no country would accept the threat of rockets from above and tunnels from below, The Secretary-General said that at the same time, “all occupying powers have an international legal obligation to protect civilians.”

“Gaza is in a critical condition. Israeli missiles have pummelled Gaza. Hamas rockets have randomly struck Israel,” said Mr. Ban following a six-day mission to the Middle East region, where he pressed both sides to heed the rising humanitarian toll of the crisis, stop the fighting and return to a comprehensive dialogue that would address and prevent the seemingly endless cycle of violence.  “I was deeply disappointed that dangerous hostilities resumed on Sunday – but since Sunday evening a relative and very fragile calm on the ground has been established, said the UN chief, adding that while the temporary weekend pause in fighting brought a “brief respite” to war-weary civilians, it had also revealed “how much the massive Israeli assault has devastated the lives of the people of Gaza.”

The casualties and massive damage also raise serious questions of proportionality, continued the Secretary-General, adding that as of now, more than 173,000 Gazans – nearly 10 per cent of the population – are seeking protection at facilities managed by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

“I repeat my call on Israel and all the parties to do vastly more to ensure the safety of these UN sites and the security of the people who have sought sanctuary there,” he said.

Mr. Ban’s comments to the press came hours after an early morning emergency session of the UN Security Council, which also called for an immediate ceasefire.

In a presidential statement approved just after midnight, the 15-member body expressed strong support for the calls by international partners and the Secretary-General for such a ceasefire, and urged all parties to accept and fully implement it into the Eid period marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and beyond.

“The Security Council also calls on parties to engage in efforts to achieve a durable and fully respected ceasefire, based on the Egyptian initiative,” the statement added.