United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement on Sunday calling for an end to the violence between Israel and Hamas militants in and around the Gaza Strip. The U.N. chief said he is flying to the region to “appeal personally” for both sides to reach a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The statement:
I am deeply saddened by the reported deaths of more than ten members of the Dalu family, including women and children, and additional Palestinian civilians killed as a result of the ongoing violence in the Gaza strip. I am also alarmed by the continuing firing of rockets against Israeli towns, which has killed several Israeli civilians. This must stop. I strongly urge the parties to cooperate with all efforts led by Egypt to reach an immediate cease fire. Any further escalation will inevitably increase the suffering of the affected civilian populations and must be avoided.
I am heading to the region to appeal personally for ending the violence and contribute to ongoing efforts to that end.
