Spectres of violence and radicalism growing in Gaza, West Bank: Top UN envoy

The Council was briefed by Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, as well as Ursula Mueller, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.

The spectres of violence and radicalism in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are growing, and the prospect of sustainable peace is fading by the day, a senior UN envoy in the region told the Security Council on Wednesday.

The Council was briefed by Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, as well as Ursula Mueller, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.

In a sombre assessment, Mr Mladenov characterized the hope of a peaceful two-state solution as "slim." Extremists are on the rise and that the risk of war looms large, he explained.

Against this backdrop, the immediate challenge is the prevention of an economic and humanitarian implosion in the West Bank and Gaza.

The Palestinian people, he continued, need the support of the international community more than ever, as a range of issues is exerting a "heavy toll" on those living in Gaza and the West Bank. These include ongoing violence, the lack of progress towards peace, financial pressures and unilateral measures by the Government of Israel.

Mr Mladenov cited a recent decision by Israel to withhold some $140 million in Palestinian tax revenue transfers (the equivalent of money paid to Palestinians convicted of terrorism or security-related offences, and their families), and the decision of the United States Government to halt funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as factors driving financial instability in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Ms Mueller also described the "rising vulnerability" of Palestinians in Gaza, with salaries for public sector employees reduced or withheld, including in the health and education sectors, unemployment at over 50 per cent, and the fact that most citizens are dealing with food insecurity.

Funding cuts have forced the World Food Programme (WFP) to suspend assistance to some 27,000 people and reduce rations to another 166,000 beneficiaries. There is still, she continued, a considerable funding gap, and she urged the Member States to step up and increase their support for humanitarian operations.