Risk of war in Gaza Strip still imminent, warns UN envoy

The UN Envoy for the Middle East said on Monday that the “risk of war [in Gaza] remains imminent” a week after a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza was agreed, Anadolu has reported.

“The risk of war remains imminent and today we have perhaps the last chance to consolidate the agreements that have been reached,” said Nickolay Mladenov. He made his comments during the inauguration ceremony for a solar power plant supplying electricity to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

“I want to send a clear message to those in the past year who have tried to disrupt the ceasefire discussions,” said the Envoy. “I want to tell them very clearly that if this calm is now disrupted, they will bear the responsibility for what happens after.”

Mladenov reiterated that the UN is exerting a lot of effort to make a breakthrough in easing the Israeli siege imposed on Gaza through its humanitarian aid and job creation programmes. Such programmes are being carried out in cooperation with the World Bank.

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