UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to Palestinians and Israelis yesterday to avoid a "new catastrophic conflict."
The Guterres call came amid the deaths of four Palestinians and an Israeli soldier following the escalation of violence.
Antonio Guterres said:
"I express my deep concern at this dangerous escalation of violence in Gaza and southern Israel. There is an urgent need for all sides to keep an urgent distance at the risk of a new catastrophic conflict. ”.
He also called on them to stop firing rockets and not to take provocative actions along the dividing line, and at the same time expressed the need for a demonstration of restraint by Israel.
"I call on Hamas and the Palestinians to stop firing rockets, incendiary balloons and not to take provocative action along the dividing line "between Israel and the Gaza Strip. And Israel must show restraint to avoid a resurgence of the situation".
Finally, the UN Secretary-General called on all parties to work together to find a solution to this situation.
"I encourage all parties to work with the UN, especially with my special coordinator Nikolai Mladenov, to find a solution to this dangerous situation. "Every new escalation endangers the lives of Palestinians and Israelis, exacerbates the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and undermines existing efforts to improve living conditions and assist in the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza."
