UN warns of an extremely high risk of war returning to Gaza — Anadolu Agency

Acting UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov said during a Security Council briefing that the situation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, remains extremely fragile. He stressed that a return to war must be avoided at all costs, Anadolu Agency reports.

Situation in Gaza

According to Alakbarov, a year has passed since the ceasefire, but the situation in Gaza remains extremely unstable. He said Israeli military operations had continued and resulted in approximately 1,500 deaths, including more than 320 children.

The UN official described the conditions in which Gaza's residents live: worn-out tents, overcrowded sites for displaced people, and severely damaged buildings. According to him, water supply and sanitation systems have suffered significant destruction, while most of Gaza still lives in darkness. He stressed that people must not endure another winter without safe housing and basic services.

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Alakbarov noted that emergency aid for children is not enough: recovery must take place alongside political progress.

Tensions in the West Bank

In Alakbarov's assessment, the situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is deteriorating due to Israeli military operations, movement restrictions, displacement of people, and attacks by Palestinians. He also said that settler violence remains at an “extraordinarily high level,” with attacks on Palestinians taking place every day.

The official called his assessment realistic and said he felt obliged to warn the Security Council. In his view, Palestinians and Israelis need not short-term solutions but a credible path to peace and an end to the conflict. He called on the international community to move from statements to concrete action and return to a genuine peace process.