Gaza on a knife-edge, warns UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
Gaza is on "a knife-edge" and the Middle East is facing a serious challenge, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said.
Gaza is on "a knife-edge" and the Middle East is facing a serious challenge, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said.
Ban spent Wednesday talking with world leaders including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, as well as US Secretary of State John Kerry. The talks took place as Israeli warplanes pounded Gaza, killing dozens, in a major new confrontation with Palestinian militants, as Hamas showed its firepower and sent thousands running for shelters across the country.
"Gaza is on a knife-edge. The deteriorating situation is leading to a downward spiral which could quickly get beyond anyone's control.
"The risk of violence expanding further still is real. Gaza, and the region as a whole, cannot afford another full-blown war. "
Ban condemned the rocket attacks launched from Gaza on Israel, saying: "Such attacks are unacceptable and must stop."
He said he had also urged Netanyahu to exercise maximum restraint and to respect international obligations to protect civilians.