Rosemary DiCarlo (C, front), United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, addresses a Security Council open debate on the situation in the Middle East at the UN headquarters in New York, April 29, 2019. Rosemary DiCarlo on Monday deplored the absence of a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that the status quo will only lead to further deterioration of the situation. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)
UNITED NATIONS, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A senior UN official on Monday deplored the absence of a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that the status quo will only lead to further deterioration of the situation.
Under the pressure of violence, settlement expansion, unilateral measures, intra-Palestinian divisions and deepening mutual mistrust, the prospects for a just and lasting peace remains ever more elusive, said Rosemary DiCarlo, UN undersecretary-general for political affairs.
Hopes for the realization of a two-state solution continue to be replaced by the rising fears of future annexation. The possibility of establishing a viable and contiguous Palestinian state continues to be eroded by facts on the ground, she told the Security Council in an open debate.
"The United Nations has repeatedly warned that the conflict cannot be managed in perpetuity. The status quo will only lead to further deterioration of the situation, radicalization on all sides, more suffering and conflict," she said.
DiCarlo reported continued violence between Israelis and Palestinians, a worsening financial crisis for Palestine and a dire humanitarian and economic crisis in Gaza.
"As we mobilize to address the critical needs of the Palestinian population, be it in Gaza or the West Bank, we shall not lose sight of the core political issue, namely the prospect of two peaceful and secure states living side by side in harmony," she said.
"This imperative compels us all to work with the parties, bring them back to the negotiation table and urge them to avoid unilateral actions that undermine the prospect for peace ... However, only determined action by the parties themselves can salvage the two-state solution."
Otherwise, she said, Palestinians and Israelis will continue to live their lives knowing only conflict, mistrust and fear, rather than the infinite possibilities that would come with a just and lasting peace.
