UNITED NATIONS: In a stark warning issued on Saturday, the United Nations underscored the protracted nature of the Gaza crisis, asserting that it could remain a major cause of concern in 2024 as well.

The statement, released from the UN’s New York headquarters, delineated the pivotal issues anticipated to dominate global attention in the coming year, with the situation in Gaza taking a prominent position.

Commending the Security Council’s December 22 resolution as “a step in the right direction,” the United Nations urged heightened aid delivery to the embattled Gaza Strip, as the resolution emphasised.

Despite diplomatic strides, the UN highlighted the dire circumstances confronting the civilian population in Gaza and the West Bank, characterising the situation as “desperate.” The global body expressed deep concern, designating Sigrid Kaag, the newly appointed UN Senior Humanitarian Coor­dinator for Gaza, with the immediate responsibility of overseeing aid flow and spearheading post-conflict reconstruction efforts in the territory.

In a separate communication, UN Secretary General António Guterres voiced grave apprehensions regarding the potential “further spillover” of the unrest in Gaza. Commenting on the Security Council’s Dec 29 meeting on escalating violence in Gaza and between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, Guterres called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. He urged the unconditional release of prisoners and implored the international community to exert influence on relevant parties to prevent a deterioration of the regional situation.

Emphasising the urgency of the matter, Guterres said, “The longer the conflict in Gaza persists, the greater the risk of wider regional conflagration due to the potential for escalation and miscalculation by multiple actors.”

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary General, also echoed these concerns in a New York press briefing, highlighting escalating violence in the occupied West Bank. He expressed alarm over intensified Israeli security forces operations, a surge in fatalities, settler violence, and attacks on Israelis by Palestinians.

Dujarric warned of daily exchanges of fire across the Blue Line, emphasising the risk of triggering a broader escalation bet­ween Israel and Lebanon, significantly impacting regional stability.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2023