Tor Wennesland, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, today expressed deep concern at the situation in the Gaza Strip following a visit to the besieged sea enclave, saying it is dire. ‘Deeply concerned by the escalating tensions in and around Gaza,’ he said in a tweet. ‘The situation inside the Strip is dire and we must avoid another conflict that will have grave consequences for all. The people of Gaza have suffered enough and deserve more than a return to calm.’ Wennesland said the United Nations ‘is talking to and working with all concerned to improve the lives of people in Gaza, particularly the most vulnerable.’ The UN official’s visit came as tension escalated on the border between Gaza and Israel with daily protests against the siege and Israeli violation against the Muslim holy places in Jerusalem, and as Israel escalated its air strikes. Gaza has been under a tight Israeli land, sea and air blockade since 2005. Its two crossings with Israel are regularly and abruptl
y closed for days and weeks in a row, exacerbating the living situation for Gaza’s two million impoverished population.
 
Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA