Ban welcomes open-ended ceasefire for Gaza, stresses need to tackle root causes of the crisis

NEW YORK, Aug 26 (KUNA) -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday welcomed the announcement earlier today of an open-ended ceasefire for Gaza, brokered by Egypt, and urged the parties concerned to use the opportunity to tackle the root causes of the seven-week crisis, his press office said in a statement.
Expressing the UN readiness to support ongoing efforts to address the structural factors of conflict between Israel and Gaza, Ban said he "remains hopeful that the extended ceasefire will act as a prelude to a political process as the only way of achieving durable peace." "A brighter future for Gaza and for Israel depends on a sustainable ceasefire. It is up to the parties to live up to this responsibility," the statement added.
After this latest round of killing and the further widespread destruction of Palestinian homes, it noted, "civilians on both sides need a reprieve in order to resume their daily lives, and to allow for humanitarian and early recovery efforts to address the desperate needs of the people in Gaza." It said Gazan and Israeli children "must be able to start the school year without the sound of rocket alarms and airstrikes," warning that after 50 days of profound human suffering and devastating physical destruction, "any violations of the cease-fire would be utterly irresponsible." It also stressed that "any peace effort that does not tackle the root causes of the crisis will do little more than set the stage for the next cycle of violence. Gaza must be brought back under one legitimate Palestinian Government adhering to the PLO commitments; the blockade of Gaza must end; Israel's legitimate security concerns must be addressed." The two-state solution, it argued, is the "only viable option," calling on both parties to urgently return to "meaningful negotiations towards a final status agreement that addresses all core issues and ends the 47-year occupation." (end) sj.sd