From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
UN envoy says Gaza rocket fire provoking war with Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleUN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Nikolay Mladenov tells President Reuven Rivlin the rocket fired from Gaza that hit a home in southern Israel early this morning was a “dangerous escalation” in tensions in the Palestinian enclave.
He says fresh rocket fire “fit a pattern of provocations that seek to bring Israel and Gaza into another deadly conflict and confrontation.”
Mladenov says “de-escalation on the ground” in the next 48 hours is crucial to the survival of ongoing Egyptian and UN efforts to reach a long term ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
“I am afraid that there is no more time for words. Now is the time for actions. And we must see very clear actions on all sides that bring the situation to a de-escalation. Otherwise, the consequences will be terrible for everyone,” he says.
A diplomatic source tells The Times of Israel that Mladenov is working with all concerned parties to restore calm to the Gaza Strip.
The Times of Israel Community.