UN Chief Urges Israel to Stop Fueling the Flame in Gaza

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Israel to avoid “further inflaming the situation” after the regime’s strikes claimed four lives on Friday.

News ID: 71328

Date: 22 July 2018 - 09:45

TEHRAN (Defapress) –"I am gravely concerned over the dangerous escalation of violence in Gaza and southern Israel," he said in a statement.

"It is imperative that all sides urgently step back from the brink of another devastating conflict."

While voicing concerns over the escalation of violence, Guterres also urged Palestinian factions to avoid what he referred to as provocations.

"And Israel must exercise restraint to avoid further inflaming the situation."

He encouraged all parties to work with the UN to find a peaceful solution to the crisis, saying that it is aggravating the "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza.

Diplomats at the UN said there had not yet been a call for an urgent Security Council meeting to find ways to lower tensions. A regular monthly meeting on the Middle East is on the council's agenda for Tuesday.

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and Israel agreed to a truce on Saturday.

Guterres' call came shortly after Israeli artillery units targeted a position of Hamas in the Gaza Strip only hours after it was announced that the Tel Aviv regime had reached a truce with Palestinian factions in the besieged coastal enclave.

Israeli aircraft and tanks hit targets across the Gaza Strip on Friday, killing four people there.

Two Palestinians were killed in a strike east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, the health ministry in the enclave said.

A third man was killed by Israeli fire east of Rafah, also in southern Gaza, the ministry said.

The three men were named as Shaban abu Khatar, Mohammed abu Farhana and Mahmoud Qushta.

Israel's military claimed its aircraft and tanks had targeted "eight military posts" belonging to Hamas.

A fourth man named as Mohammed Badwan was later shot dead by Israeli forces during protests along the border, Gaza's health ministry said.

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