The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov said he was deeply alarmed by the recent escalation of violence in Gaza as a result of the multiple rockets fired by Israel.
“For month I have been warning that the humanitarian security and political crisis in Gaza risks a devastating conflict that nobody wants” said Mladenov. “The UN has engaged with Egypt and all concerned parties in an unprecedented effort to avoid such a development.”
“Our collective efforts have prevented the situation from exploding until now. If the current escalation however is not contained immediately the situation can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people” he warned.
“We will continue working hard to ensure that Gaza steps back from the brink that all humanitarian issues are addressed and that Egyptian-led efforts to achieve intra-Palestinian reconciliation succeed” the UN official pledged.
A baby and her pregnant mother were among three Palestinians killed overnight Wednesday as Israeli warplanes carried out a series of air strikes on the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said Enas Khammash 23 and her 18-month daughter Bayan were killed in an airstrike in Jaafarawi in central Gaza while her husband was seriously injured.
The ministry said Enas was in her ninth month of pregnancy.
Sometime earlier an Israeli strike took away the life of 30-year-old Ali al-Ghandour.
12 Palestinians were also injured in the attacks according to the ministry.
