IN WAKE OF GAZA CRISIS, BAN URGES ‘MASSIVE’ EFFORT TO RESOLVE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT

IN WAKE OF GAZA CRISIS, BAN URGES 'MASSIVE' EFFORT TO RESOLVE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT
New York, Jan 21 2009 5:10PM
Having just returned from Gaza, where he saw first-hand the suffering and destruction wrought by Israel's three-week military offensive, including the still-smouldering ruins of a shelled United Nations compound, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged a "massive" international effort to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict.

"The violence, destruction and suffering before us have been a mark of collective political failure," Mr. Ban told a meeting of the Security Council, in a statement read out on his behalf by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe.

"We must do more," he stated. "Nothing short of a massive international effort is now required to support, and insist on, a resolution of this conflict."

Although present at the meeting, Mr. Ban was unable to deliver the briefing, having lost his voice at the end of a whirlwind diplomatic mission that also took the UN chief to Cairo, Amman, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Ankara, Beirut, Damascus and Sharm el-Sheik.

"A true end to violence, and lasting security for both Palestinians and Israelis, will only come through a just and comprehensive settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict," the Secretary-General stressed, adding that central to this effort is implementation of Security Council resolutions and the framework provided by the Arab Peace Initiative.

"We do not need new plans and processes. We have the tools we need. We need only political will and action," he stated.

The offensive, which Israel launched on 27 December with the stated aim of ending Hamas rocket attacks, claimed over 1,300 lives, some 400 of them children, and wounded more than 5,450. The bombing and shelling also caused widespread destruction and suffering for Gaza's 1.5 million residents, who were already in dire need of basic necessities due to Israel's closure of border crossings.

The fighting has ended with declarations of unilateral ceasefires and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. While this offers a much-need respite for suffering civilians, Mr. Ban cautioned that conditions are still "fragile" and much more remains to be done on both the diplomatic and humanitarian fronts.

He added that for many in Gaza, this also remains an hour of despair, grief and desperate need. "They were caught throughout this crisis between Hamas' unacceptable and irresponsible actions and Israel's blockade and use of excessive and disproportionate military force."

Mr. Ban has dispatched the UN's top humanitarian official to assess the needs on the ground following the three-week offensive. John Holmes will lead a humanitarian needs assessment team into Gaza tomorrow, together with the UN's Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry. Soon after, the UN intends to launch a Flash Humanitarian Appeal.

The Secretary-General said he assured the people of Gaza that the UN will work "urgently and diligently" to provide aid and to start the reconstruction and recovery process. He noted that immediate and increased access to Gaza is key to those efforts.

He added that for any sustainable political progress to occur, and for Gaza to properly recover and rebuild, Palestinians must face the challenge of reconciliation. In both Gaza and Ramallah, the UN chief appealed for Palestinians to overcome divisions and work to restore one Palestinian government within the framework of the legitimate Palestinian Authority under President Abbas.

"I have stated clearly that the United Nations will work with a united Palestinian government encompassing Gaza and the West Bank."
Jan 21 2009 5:10PM
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