By Muhammad Rajavi
ISTANBUL (AA) – United Nations Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland called Tuesday the scenes of destruction and suffering in the battered Gaza Strip “heart-wrenching.”
In a post on his X account, Wennesland said he visited Gaza and "witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of the hostilities."
"The scenes of destruction and suffering of people are heart-wrenching, and it is clear that urgent action is needed to alleviate the humanitarian crisis facing the Gaza Strip,” he added.
The UN coordinator said he visited Al-Amal Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis and met with local officials to discuss ways to meet the urgent needs of the Palestinian population.
“What I saw in Gaza is a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict,” Wennesland said.
“There is a serious proposal on the table – outlined by (US) President Biden – and I urge all parties to reach an agreement immediately to achieve a cease-fire and return the hostages. There is no alternative – and any delay, every day simply costs more lives.”
On Friday, Biden said Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner exchange, and reconstruction of Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, said Monday that he was “not ready to stop" the war on Gaza, claiming that Biden's remarks about the cease-fire proposal were “inaccurate.”
His coalition partners, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have threatened to topple the government if Netanyahu agrees to Biden’s cease-fire plan.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
More than 36,500 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and nearly 83,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.
Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio