Panafrican News Agency

US: UN chief welcomes Egyptian-brokered ceasefire for Gaza

New York, US (PANA) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed Tuesday's announcement of an open-ended ceasefire for Gaza, brokered under Egyptian auspices, and says he hopes this will lead to a political process aimed at achieving a durable peace.

A UN statement issued in New York, quoted Ban as saying: "A brighter future for Gaza and for Israel depends on a sustainable ceasefire. It is up to the parties to live up to this responsibility."

He stated: "After 50 days of profound human suffering and devastating physical destruction, any violations of the ceasefire would be utterly irresponsible."

He also noted that any peace effort that did not tackle the root causes of the crisis would do little more than set the stage for the next cycle of violence, and called for, among others, an end to the Israeli blockade of Gaza and addressing Israel’s legitimate security concerns.

According to the statement, the Secretary-General remained hopeful that the extended ceasefire would act as a prelude to a political process as the only way of achieving durable peace.

Ban added that the two-State solution is the only viable option.

"The Secretary-General urgently calls on both parties to return to meaningful negotiations towards a final status agreement that addresses all core issues and ends the 47-year occupation," it stressed.

The UN estimates that the latest wave of violence, which began eight weeks ago, has killed 2,101 Palestinians and 67 Israelis, in addition to forcing 475,000 Palestinians to seek refuge at UN facilities inside Gaza.
-0- PANA AA/MA 26Aug2014