NEW YORK, (PIC)
The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, warned that “the war in Gaza with all of its human tragedy, the serious risk of regional escalation, and the unresolved Israeli – Palestinian conflict and continued occupation are combining to create a combustible situation in the whole of the Middle East.”
This came in a briefing to the UN Security Council on the situation in the Middle East.
Any spark or miscalculation could set off a series of uncontrollable escalations – embroiling millions more in conflict, he continued.
The war in Gaza continues to take a staggering toll on human life, he added, pointing out that more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7.
“Over the past month, around 200,000 Palestinians have been affected by evacuation orders.”
“This is merely the latest round of mass displacement in Gaza, where nearly two million people have been forced out of their homes and shelters during the war, most of them multiple times. Eighty-five per cent of the Strip has come under evacuation orders since October 7.”
With all of these negative trends, and after more than 300 days of war in Gaza, we are at an inflection point in the Middle East, the UN official said.
While the eyes of the international community are focused on Gaza, the occupied West Bank is a tinderbox of violence and tension, he further warned.
