The United Nations Middle East envoy disclosed on Monday, August 21, 2023, that over 200 Palestinian lost their lives this year, surpassing the annual figures from the previous year and marking the highest toll since 2005.
The envoy highlighted the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements – considered unlawful under international law and a significant obstacle to peace – along with the demolition of Palestinian homes and operations conducted by Israeli occupation forces in the occupied West Bank. He also mentioned ongoing attacks by Israeli settlers.
In his remarks, the envoy, Tor Wennesland, explained that the Palestinian Authority’s financial fragility and acute funding shortages at United Nations agencies, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), have contributed to the current complex situation.
Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s deputy ambassador to the UN, conveyed to the council that the long-term deterioration of the peace process is compounded by Israel’s illegal unilateral actions aimed at establishing irreversible facts on the ground.
He cautioned that these actions hinder the prospects of reviving direct talks between Palestinians and Israelis. He particularly pointed out the unprecedented speed of Israel’s expansion of settlements, which he deemed the greatest threat.
Isis Jaraud-Darnault, the French political coordinator, also condemned what she described as Israel’s colonization of Palestinian territories, which the Palestinians intend for their future state. She criticized Israel’s ongoing demolitions, including the recent demolition of a Palestinian school in the Ramallah region of the West Bank on August 17, which had received funding from European donors, including France.
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