UN’s Guterres calls for IDF to cease military operations in the West Bank after counterterrorism op

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls on Israel to cease its military operations in the West Bank after the Israel Defense Forces said it had launched a large-scale counterterrorism operation on Wednesday in which at least 11 Palestinians were killed, mostly terror operatives.

In a statement attributed to Guterres, his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric says the secretary-general is “deeply concerned” by the latest developments in the West Bank, and “strongly condemns the loss of lives, including of children.”

The IDF had said earlier that two Palestinian gunmen were killed during clashes with Border Police officers in Jenin, and another three in a drone strike in a nearby village.  Four more Palestinian gunmen, who “endangered forces” carrying out a raid, were said by the military to have been killed in a drone strike in Far’a.

Palestinian media reported that another man was shot dead in Kafr Dan near Jenin, while another was killed in Nur Shams, bringing the day’s toll to 11, although the IDF did not immediately comment on the latest two deaths.

Guterres “calls on Israel to comply with its relevant obligations under international humanitarian law and to take measures to protect civilians and ensure their safety,” the statement continues. “He urges security forces to exercise maximum restraint and use lethal force only when it is strictly unavoidable to protect life.”

“These dangerous developments are fueling an already explosive situation in the occupied West Bank and further undermining the Palestinian Authority.”

The statement continues: “Ultimately, only an end to the occupation and a return to a meaningful political process that will establish a two-state solution will bring an end to the violence.”

“The United Nations will continue to work with all parties towards this end, to seek a de-escalation of the current situation and promote stability in the region,” it adds.