NEW YORK, Dec 20: UN Middle East envoy on Monday revealed that more than 150 Palestinians and more than 20 Israelis were killed in the Israel-Palestine conflict this year, the highest number of deaths in years.
“I am gravely concerned by the sharp increase in violence against civilians on both sides, which exacerbates mistrust and undermines a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” Tor Wennesland told the Security Council.
Wennesland appealed for an end to the violence and for all perpetrators to be held accountable, reported Anadolu Agency.
Turning to other matters, the UN envoy said Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, remains deeply concerning.
Some 4,800 housing units were advanced this year in what is known under the Oslo peace accord arrangements as Area C, though none occurred during the reporting period. Still, the number is high, though slightly lower than the 2021 figure, he said, while tenders dropped from 1,800 to 150.
He called on Israel to cease advancement of all settlement activities as well as the demolition of Palestinian-owned property, and to prevent possible displacement and evictions.
He also urged the parties, along with regional States and the broader international community to take concrete steps that will change the negative trajectory on the ground and find a framework that moves the parties forward towards the establishment of two States. – TVS
