Ki-moon talks of deteriorating humanitarian conditions for Palestinians Ki-moon talks of deteriorating humanitarian conditions for Palestinians UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged both Palestinians and Israelis to work together for a lasting two state solution to their conflict yesterday in a UN African meeting on the question of Palestine in Pretoria. In a message delivered on his behalf by Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Tuliameni Kalomoh, Ki-moon said, "I am fully committed to advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement, based on Security Council resolutions 242, 338, 1397, 1515 and the principle of land for peace. The Secretary General also added, "Yet many challenges remain. During my recent visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, I saw first-hand some of the obstacles that, over the years, have stalled progress in the peace process. I was deeply troubled by the network of checkpoints, by settlements and by the construction of the Barrier on a route that deviates from the Green Line. The meeting was held under the auspices of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and organized by the Government of South Africa. "In talking to ordinary Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, I was struck by their deep longing for their own state and the many frustrations they face in their daily lives. The humanitarian situation is woeful and deteriorating, and the economy needs to be urgently revitalized, Ki-moon said. He added: "Through my visit I also came to better understand the security concerns facing Israelis. Rocket attacks and indiscriminate violence against civilians should be stopped completely and without conditions. Security is also an urgent need for the Palestinians, who face a rising death toll as a result of Israeli Defense Forces' incursions as well as internal violence in Gaza. Despite security concerns for Palestinians, recent talk of Egypt intervening in Palestine on this issue has been denied. According to Al-Akhbar, Egypt has denied that it might make a security intervention in Gaza, in light of recent rocket attacks and raids between Israel and Hamas. "There is already a Palestinian government, so why would Egypt send a security presence? military expert at Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies Mohammed Kadry Saeed told The Daily Star Egypt. Saeed added, "Sending forces into any country must come either at the request of the country itself, or within the scope of a UN peacekeeping force, which Egyptian forces may be a part of. Ki-moon did not allude in his speech to a possible UN intervention in the Palestinian territories, placing the onus on the unity government to curb the internal discord that recently blighted Palestine.
