(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) NEW YORK, July 21 (KUNA) -- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres voiced on Saturday deep concern over the recent flare-up of violence around the Gaza Strip.
"I am gravely concerned over the dangerous escalation of violence in Gaza and southern Israel," Guterres said in a statement.
"I deeply regret the loss of life. It is imperative that all sides urgently step back from the brink of another devastating conflict," he added.
Guterres urged all warring sides, particularly Hamas and the Israeli occupation authorities, to "step back from the brink of another devastating conflict." He also called on other Palestinian resistance in Gaza to cease the launching of rockets and incendiary kites and provocations along the enclave's border fence.
Furthermore, the UN chief also urged Israeli authorities to exercise restraint in order to avoid further inflaming the situation.
"Any further escalation will endanger the lives of Palestinians and Israelis alike, deepen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and undermine current efforts to improve livelihoods and support the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza," he said.
The Secretary General also encouraged all to engage with the UN, particularly his Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov, and work to find "a way out of this dangerous situation." On March 30, Palestinians in Gaza started a mass protest against a blockade of the enclave imposed by Israel since the early 1990's. The confrontation between the sides has since escalated.
On Friday, Palestinian gunmen killed an Israeli soldier and the Israeli military launched dozens of strikes that killed three Hamas fighters, according to media reports.
A fourth Palestinian was killed by Israeli gunfire during a protest near the border. (end) asf.ma
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