The UN envoy to the Middle East noted in an interview with France 24 that the reason is the deterioration of the situation in the Gaza Strip over the past decade • "Another war is not something anyone can afford"
Israeli assault in Gaza (archive) // Photo: AFP
UN Secretary-General Nikolai Mladnov on Thursday addressed the security situation facing the Gaza Strip, saying he could escalate the war at any moment. In an interview with the France 24 news site, Mladnov said: "We are always two to three days away. Another war from Gaza. This is the situation we have been living in for the past year and a half ... The first reason is that the situation in Gaza has deteriorated dramatically over the past decade. People are living in terrible conditions, unemployment is skyrocketing. A year and a half ago people lived with three hours of electricity a day. So there is a very strong social tension that exists in Gaza. "
The UN envoy, who is one of the key mediators in the exchange of messages between Israel and Hamas, went on to say that the second reason was the escalation of demonstrations on the fence in the "return marches": "On the first day of demonstrations that began in March last year, there were more than 60 people killed in one day. This added a lot of tension in the field. Since then we have seen kites and explosives, explosives and shootings at Israel. What hit communities on the Israeli side of the border, who live in terrible tension and fear of rockets, "he said.
Nikolai Mladnov, UN envoy to the Middle East: "Another war is not something anyone in the Middle East can afford" // Photo: Moman Faiz - Noor Poto
Maldenov finally said that the reconciliation process between Hamas and Fatah did not produce any results. That no one in the Middle East can afford.
Demonstrations in the Gaza Strip - Photo Archive
Meanwhile, Palestinian media announced this evening that "the Supreme Committee for Returns and Breaking of the Siege" calls for participation in demonstrations this Friday, entitled "Palestine unites us and Jerusalem is our capital." According to the announcement, the demonstrations will be held in the center of the Gaza Strip, Gaza and Rafah. According to a report on the Al-Watania website, the events of the return marches will be canceled in Khan Yunis and the northern Gaza Strip. And in their place, demonstrations will only be held in central, Gaza and Rafah centers.
Another reason for reducing the events of the return marches is the events marking the 32nd anniversary of the official establishment of the Hamas terror organization. Events will be held in the Gaza Strip and not near the border, in Khan Yunis and in the north. The anniversary is true on the first day, but the protests have already begun today in Jabalya.
Palestinian sources told Israel Today that due to weather conditions, the Gaza Strip has considered failing to maintain order violations at the border. Therefore, consultations were held on whether to fulfill the return marches only partially.