U.N. Official Says Gaza on Verge of Collapse

YERUSHALAYIM
Gaza
Nickolay Mladenov, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

U.N. Middle East peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov was the latest to ring alarm bells over the Gaza economy on Tuesday, warning that the Hamas-run territory is on the verge of “full collapse,” according to an AFP report.

Mladenov urged that implementation of the Palestinian unity deal that provides for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to take over administration of Gaza from Hamas is crucial for preventing chaos.

“Without that, Gaza risks exploding in our face again, this time in a far more deadly and violent manner than in the past,” he told the annual conference of Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

“I often say publicly, in (U.N.) Security Council briefings and in other formats, that we are in the midst of a major humanitarian crisis,” Mladenov said.

“Let me be very clear today here, that we’re well beyond that.”

“We’re on the verge of a total systems failure in Gaza, with a full collapse of the economy, with social services, political, humanitarian and security implications stemming from that.”

To Read The Full Story

Are you already a subscriber?
Click to log in!