UN Chief Antonio Guterres demands immediate halt on the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict

The United Nations on Friday said that the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict should be stopped immediately. This came a day after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue striking Hamas as Palestinians kept firing rockets from Gaza amid the violent clashes.

Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres said, "The conflict could unleash an uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis and to further foster extremism, not only in the Palestinian territory and Israel but also elsewhere in the region."

A UN spokesman informed that Guterres is urging the parties to allow mediation efforts to intensify and end the fighting more quickly. Stephane Dujarric said that the UN is “actively involved” in those mediation efforts.

Guterres also reiterated his commitment to support Palestinians and Israelis in resolving the conflict, including through the so-called Quartet of Middle East mediators, that is the UN, the US, the European Union, and Russia.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said on Friday that the death toll due to fire exchange has risen to 119 including children and Israel said its casualties have risen to eight.

Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) Security Council on May 16 will hold an open meeting to discuss the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. China, Norway, and Tunisia had earlier said that the UN should swiftly hold an open meeting on the escalating violence between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

Guterres’s appeal on Eid amid Israel-Palestine conflict 

Antonio Guterres on Friday also appealed for cessation of conflict “out of respect for Eid” which is a religious holiday that marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan. Noting that too many civilian casualties have already mounted since the violence began in the region, Guterres said that the ongoing conflict will only elevate the “radicalization and extremism” in the entire area. Earlier, in a joint statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin and United Nations Secretary-General also called for an end to the conflict. 

(With AP Inputs)