Palestinian statehood becomes increasingly unlikely - UN envoy

NEW YORK, Jan 22 (KUNA) -- As 2019 begins, no one should have any illusions about the dangerous dynamics of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov said Tuesday.
Over time, the likelihood of establishing a viable, contiguous Palestinian State has been systematically eroded by facts on the ground, he said at a briefing to the UN Security Council on the situation in the Middle East.
The Israeli authorities have advanced, approved or tendered more than 3,100 housing units planned in Area C settlements, Mladenov said, noting that nearly half of them are to be built deep in the West Bank, many in isolated settlements in the Nablus area and near Al-Khalil, or Hebron.
Cautioning that additional attempts to pass legislation that would directly apply Israeli law to occupied West Bank territory are raising fears of future annexation, he pointed out that, in December 2018, the Israeli government endorsed a bill to advance the legalization of some 66 illegal outposts across the West Bank within two years.
The demolition and seizure of Palestinian-owned structures continued across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with 25 structures seized or demolished for lack of Israeli-issued building permits, he said, noting that the documents are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain.
As a result, 32 people have been displaced, the UN official added.
He reported growing pressures on the foundations of a future Palestinian State, many of them imposed by decades of occupation and internal divisions.
In addition, despite the tireless efforts of Egypt and the United Nations, hopes for genuine intra-Palestinian reconciliation are fading by the day as each side blames the other for the lack of progress, he went on.
He called upon Palestinian leaders to engage constructively with Egypt and act decisively to resolve the political impasse by ensuring full implementation of the 2017 Cairo Agreement.
The continuing absence of a functioning elected Palestinian legislative body remains a cause for concern until credible elections can take place, he added.
On the security front, a dangerous dynamic has been unfolding in the West Bank over recent months, with a series of deadly terrorist attacks increasing the risk of destabilization, he said. The reporting period also witnessed an increasing number of Israeli military operations in Areas A and B of the West Bank.
Pointing out that more than 25 years have passed since Oslo opened a pathway to peace, he emphasized that recommitting to the basic tenets of bilateral agreements will provide hope for the future and an impetus for peace and stability.
"A quarter of a century of investment in peace and State-building must not be allowed to wither under the pressure of violence, radicalization and suffering, he said.
He also reported that the Israeli security forces killed eight Palestinians during the reporting period, while stressing that Hamas must stop the indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars from Gaza into Israel.
With recent cuts in donor funding, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continued, noting that the World Food Programme (WFP) had to suspend food assistance to 27,000 people and reduce the rations of a further 166,000.
He urged donors to continue their support for the critical services provided by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Turning to Lebanon, he said the situation in the south and along the "Blue Line" remained calm but tense during the reporting period.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was able to confirm that two of the tunnels discovered by the Israeli Defense Forces crossed the Blue Line, thereby violating Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).
On 9 January, the Israeli Defense Forces initiated construction of a wall south of the Blue Line and close to the Lebanese reservation area near Misgav Am, he said.
As for the occupied Golan, he reported that the ceasefire between Israel and Syria has been maintained in relative calm and low levels of military activity in the areas of separation and limitation on the Bravo side.
On 20 and 21 January, the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) observed and heard an increase in air activity over, and the firing of missiles into, those areas, he recalled, adding that UNDOF liaised with both sides to de-escalate the situation. (end) asf.gb