The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, has emphasised the urgent need for political and security frameworks to tackle the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
In a recent briefing he expressed deep concern over escalating tensions in the region, highlighted by recent explosions in Lebanon and rocket fire towards Israel.
Wennesland called on all parties to refrain from actions that could further escalate the situation, urging immediate steps for de-escalation.
He stressed that frameworks are essential to address the humanitarian catastrophe, initiate recovery efforts, rebuild Gaza, and lay the groundwork for a political process aimed at ending the occupation and establishing a two-State solution.
He highlighted the importance of facilitating a legitimate Palestinian government capable of reuniting Gaza and the West Bank politically and administratively.
Wennesland pointed out that Palestinian unity is crucial for achieving a just and lasting peace, urging the international community to provide significant support to the Palestinian Authority.
Wennesland also reaffirmed that any progress toward peace must fully recognise the rights of Palestinians to self-determination and sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory while also addressing Israel’s legitimate security concerns.
Portugal's authorities have said that between July 27 and August 15, 1,331 excess deaths from extreme heat were reported, with the over 75 age group particularly hard hit, Euronews reported on Saturday.
A tour bus carrying more than 50 people veered out of control and rolled over on an Upstate New York highway on Friday, killing at least five people and injuring dozens of others, authorities said.
Foreign ministers from European countries, Australia and Britain on Friday jointly condemned Israel's plans to construct a settlement east of Jerusalem.
Famine has struck an area of Gaza and will likely spread over the next month, a global hunger monitor determined on Friday, an assessment that will escalate pressure on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into the war-torn Palestinian enclave.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lauded his country's "heroic" troops who fought for Russia in the war against Ukraine, in a ceremony where he decorated returning soldiers and consoled children of the bereaved with hugs, state media said on Friday.