Lynn Hastings, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territories, has demanded an immediate end to escalation and violence in the Gaza Strip in the wake of Israeli airstrikes on the Palestinian territory.
Hastings stated that the humanitarian situation in Gaza “is already bad and will only worsen” due to the present escalation. “Hostilities must cease to prevent further civilian fatalities and injuries in Gaza and Israel,” she added.
The humanitarian coordinator underlined the United Nations’ plea to all parties “for a rapid de-escalation and cessation of violence to avert harmful repercussions, especially for civilians.”
Israel launched a military incursion in the Gaza Strip on Friday, citing the Islamic Jihad’s “imminent danger of attack”
Israeli authorities detained Bassam al-Saadi, a top leader of Islamic Jihad, during a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on Monday, precipitating a rise in tensions throughout the Palestinian territory.
At least 29 Palestinians were killed, and over 250 others were injured during the Israeli attack, which prompted Palestinian retaliatory rocket fire. Since 2007, the Gaza Strip, which is home to 2,3 million people, has been wracked by a crushing Israeli siege, which has had a devastating impact on the region’s economy.
