“We are witnessing a potentially dangerous deterioration of the situation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Alvaro de Soto, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, told the Security Council in the monthly briefing on the issue. Israel has continued to “create facts on the ground” including settlement expansion and a route of the Barrier which deviates from the 1967 borders. The envoy warned that this raises “serious concerns” as to the possibility of achieving a viable and contiguous Palestinian State. “The first challenge is to stabilize the security environment, where the primary responsibility rests with the parties,” Mr. de Soto said. Read more about Security Council warned of "dangerous deterioration" in Israeli-Palestinian conflict 

With tensions escalating in the Middle East, Israeli and Palestinian diplomats both deplored the killing of innocents while trading accusations on the causes of the violence during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which heard from over 30 participants but did not pronounce itself on the issue. Riyad Mansour, the Permanent Observer for Palestine, said the Security Council has a “clear responsibility” concerning the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and praised the convening of the debate, given the deteriorating situation on the ground. “It is unfortunate that the Security Council has failed to shoulder its responsibility over this very grave situation,” he said. Read more about Security Council speakers, alarmed by escalating violence, urge Israeli, Palestinian restraint, return to peace process (2/2) 

With tensions escalating in the Middle East, Israeli and Palestinian diplomats both deplored the killing of innocents while trading accusations on the causes of the violence during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which heard from over 30 participants but did not pronounce itself on the issue. Riyad Mansour, the Permanent Observer for Palestine, said the Security Council has a “clear responsibility” concerning the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and praised the convening of the debate, given the deteriorating situation on the ground. “It is unfortunate that the Security Council has failed to shoulder its responsibility over this very grave situation,” he said. Read more about Security Council speakers, alarmed by escalating violence, urge Israeli, Palestinian restraint, return to peace process (1/2) 

The collapse or sacrifice of the Palestinian Authority could end all hopes of achieving a Palestinian State in a reasonable time frame, Alvaro de Soto, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and the Secretary-General’s Special Representative to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, said in a briefing to the Security Council this morning. Describing a functioning Authority as an essential building block for a Palestinian State, he said it was not something that could be turned on and off like a light switch. It was through the Authority that basic social and economic services, as well as salaries, were provided. Read more about UN Special Coordinator urges continued support for Palestinian Authority 

In identical letters to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, wrote that recent Israeli attacks on Palestinians have been incessant, as the chronology clearly demonstrates. “More dangerously, these unlawful attacks, which amount to war crimes and indicate an abject disdain for the worth of Palestinian lives, threaten to ignite an already extremely tense situation on the ground. Additionally, this deadly campaign against Palestinians jeopardizes all efforts exerted at the present time to extend the period of calm and work on transferring powers to the new Palestinian Government in a smooth and efficient manner.” Read more about Palestinian Representative to the UN: "Israeli attacks jeopardize all efforts to extend the period of calm" 

Voting in large numbers two weeks ago, the Palestinian people had underlined their commitment to building democracy and achieving self-determination, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said this morning, in statement to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian people. Emphasizing that the Palestinian economy all needed continued support, as well as far-reaching reforms, he said the most urgent need was to stabilize the Palestinian Authority’s finances. The 2006 session of the committee began on 10 February 2006. At the meeting, the Committee elected members of the Bureau of the Committee and adopted its programme of work for the year. Read more about Appeals for Urgent Support to Stabilize Palestinian Authority’s Finances heard as Palestinian Rights Committee Convenes 

Officials serving on the United Nations Palestinian Rights Committee have welcomed the last month’s Legislative Council elections, voicing hope that the new body will help contribute to peace in the Middle East. In a statement released in New York late Tuesday, the Bureau of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People said the polls “were conducted in a free, fair and peaceful manner” and offered its “high praise” to the Central Elections Commission and all of the Palestinian people. “The opportunity brought about by the democratic elections must be built on and seized by the parties to try to revitalize peace negotiations based on the principles of international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions.” Read more about UN Palestinian Rights Committee hails recent successful elections 

Dramatic developments had taken place in both Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory over the past month, including Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s serious illness and the recent victory by Hamas in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections, Angela Kane, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, said in a briefing to the Security Council this morning. Last night in London, she said, the Secretary-General had met with his Quartet colleagues to discuss the political situation in the aftermath of the election, to address the urgent Palestinian fiscal crisis, and to consider the way forward. The Quartet had heard briefings by James Wolfensohn, its Special Envoy, and Keith Drayton, United States Security Coordinator. Read more about Assistant Secretary-General highlights impact of Israeli Prime Minister illness, Hamas victory in Palestinian elections 

In the present delicate period leading up to both Palestinian and Israeli elections, the forces of violence and despair must be met with concrete political and economic action — action that will build a foundation in which the “agenda of peace” could be made stronger than the “agenda of conflict”, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Ibrahim Gambari, told the Security Council this afternoon. In the coming weeks, the parties must strive for a return to calm. Read more about Violence must be met with concrete political, economic actions, Security Council told 

The Caracas Declaration, issued at the conclusion of the two-day United Nations Latin and Caribbean Meeting on the Question of Palestine in Caracas this afternoon, strongly condemned the continuing construction of the wall and the expansion of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. The Declaration, which summarized the work of the Meeting, also condemned the recent resumption by Israel, the occupying Power, of military incursions and extrajudicial killings that threatened to unravel the fragile truce agreed to by Palestinian groups, provoked feelings of hatred and despair and undid what progress had already been achieved. Read more about Latin American and Caribbean meeting on Palestine concludes with Caracas Declaration