UN: Political process cannot succeed while Gaza remains devastated, violence escalates in West Bank

UN: Political process cannot succeed while Gaza remains devastated, violence escalates in West Bank The United Nations warned on Tuesday that a political process cannot succeed while Israeli forces continue to devastate Gaza and escalate violence in the occupied West Bank. Deputy special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov stated in a UN Security Council (UNSC) briefing that “Gaza’s reconstruction cannot be sustained in the absence of a political process. Similarly, a political process cannot succeed while Gaza remains devastated, violence escalates in the West Bank, Palestinian institutions remain divided, and security conditions continue to deteriorate.” Alakbarov, who visited Gaza earlier this month, warned that “the increase in Israeli airstrikes and the expansion of territory under the Israeli military’s control continues to increase pressure on the population in Gaza, which is now confined to around a third of Gaza,” while attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank “have persisted at alarming levels”.