UNITED NATIONS, May 15 :UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed Saturday night\u2019s ceasefire agreement in Israel and Gaza and reiterated that only a negotiated political solution will lead to lasting peace and end the devastating cycles of violence \u201conce and for all.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement issued by his Spokesperson on Sunday evening, the UN chief welcomed the truce that had been reached between the sides on Saturday and extended his deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the violence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hostilities have led to needless human suffering,\u201d the statement said of the latest round of fighting, which erupted five days ago.<\/p>\n
According to the statement, the Secretary-General commended Egypt\u2019s key role in bringing the hostilities to an end, alongside the efforts of Qatar, Lebanon and the United States to reach a ceasefire.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe calls on all sides to observe the ceasefire,\u201d the statement continued, adding that Guterres reaffirmed the United Nations\u2019 commitment to the achievement of the two-State solution based on relevant United Nations resolutions, international law, and prior agreements and the importance of restoring a political horizon.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe reiterates that only a negotiated sustainable political solution will lead to lasting peace and end, once and for all, these devastating cycles of violence,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, issued a similar statement welcoming the ceasefire, commending Egypt\u2019s efforts to help restore calm, and calling on all sides to respect the truce.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am deeply saddened by the loss of life and injuries, including children and women, from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and the indiscriminate firing of rockets toward Israel by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other militant groups,\u201d said Wennesland, expressing his deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the violence and their loved ones.<\/p>\n
In the wake of the ceasefire, the UN Special Coordinator said that he looked forward \u201cto the immediate restoration of humanitarian access and all social and economic measures to support Palestinian livelihoods in Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, May 15 :UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed Saturday night\u2019s ceasefire agreement in Israel and Gaza and reiterated that only a negotiated political solution will lead to lasting peace and end the devastating cycles of violence \u201conce and for all.\u201d In a statement issued by his Spokesperson on Sunday evening, the UN chief […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":323552,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-331320","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n