UN envoy: the Gaza crises is threatening the entire region
New York (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The violent Hamas take over of power in the Gaza Strip, the dissolution of the Palestinian national unity government and the declaration of a state of emergency by President Mahmoud Abbas have generated a new political scene in the region, which threaten Israeli and Lebanese security. This was the “deeply concerned” analyses of the situation put to the UN Security Council yesterday during its opening session, by special envoy to the Middle East Michael Williams.
Describing Hamas’ takeover of control in the Gaza Strip as “well planned and executed,” he condemned “the brutal violence… and the attacks on the legitimate institutions of President Abbas and the PA [Palestinian Authority] government” as totally unacceptable and said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon regretted the failure of the national unity government. The UN envoy underlined ““Despite what has happened, Gaza and the West Bank remain one Palestinian territory, legally administered by one Palestinian Authority headed by President Abbas, who has appointed an emergency government led by Prime Minister [Salam] Fayyad.”
Williams said it was now vital that Israel and the international community immediately deliver political and financial support to Abbas and the Palestinian government, including by releasing all previously withheld Palestinian customs and tax revenue. The UN is insisting that Israel and Abbas open up access points to Gaza to allow the free flow of humanitarian aid.
Turning to Lebanon in his briefing, Williams expressed concern about last week’s assassination of the lawmaker Walid Eido and nine others in a Beirut bombing, and the continuing violence between the Lebanese Armed Forces and Fatah el-Islam gunmen at a Palestinian refugee camp in the north of the country. He also noted that two Katyusha rockets were fired on Sunday from southern Lebanon at the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, causing minor damage but no casualties, and called it “a most serious violation” of the Security Council resolution ending last year’s war between the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Hizbollah.
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