Ramiz Alakbarov briefed the UN Security Council on the status of Palestine, noting that one year has passed since a ceasefire was completed in Gaza. Alakbarov stated, "While some progress has been made, the situation remains extremely fragile."
Israeli military operations in Gaza resulted in 1,500 fatalities, including more than 320 children. The diplomat warned that "Most of Gaza still lives in darkness" and expressed a sense of urgency, saying, "Today, I feel obliged to sound the alarm. In Gaza, desperation is palpable."
Alakbarov added that "This must be avoided at all costs" while describing the West Bank as being at a "boiling point." In Mikhmas, Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque on Wednesday and burned a car.
Atta Kanaan reported hearing breaking glass shortly after midnight on Wednesday, describing how a fire burned fiercely until young men arrived with extinguishers to contain part of the flames. Hebrew slogans were spraypainted on the exterior walls of the mosque, and the Israeli military dispatched soldiers to Mikhmas following reports of graffiti, arson, and vehicle damage.
No suspects were identified in the Mikhmas arson attack, which Rouhi Fattouh called "a barbaric act and a dangerous escalation in settler terrorism." Villagers in Mikhmas formed night-watch patrols because of the fear of settler attacks.
Rouhi Fattouh described the arson in Mikhmas as "a barbaric act and a dangerous escalation in settler terrorism."
Rouhi Fattouh
