STORY: Concerning trends continue throughout occupied Palestinian territory: UN Mideast envoy
DATELINE:  Aug. 22, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:19
LOCATION: UN Headquarters
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Security Council Chamber
2. various of UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland
3. SOUNDBITE (English): TOR WENNESLAND, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process
4. various of delegates
5. various of the Security Council Chamber

STORYLINE:

Concerning trends seen in recent months continue throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland said on Monday, underscoring the need to restore a political horizon and achieve a two-state solution.

Palestinians and Israelis are killed and injured in near-daily violence that is fueled and exacerbated by a growing sense of despair about the future, Wennesland said in a briefing to the Security Council.

SOUNDBITE (English): TOR WENNESLAND, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process
"Violence continues on the upswing, with more than 200 Palestinian and nearly 30 Israeli fatalities in the West Bank and Israel so far this year, already surpassing 2022's annual figures, and the highest figures since 2005.
Settlement expansion continues unabated, fragility of the Palestinian Authority's fiscal situation, compounded by funding shortages facing key UN agencies, threatens to worsen the plight of the most vulnerable Palestinians.
While we must urgently focus on addressing the most critical issues and on de-escalating the situation on the ground, we cannot ignore the need to restore a political horizon.
The UN remains firmly committed to supporting the parties to achieve an end to the occupation and the establishment of a two-state solution, in line with UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from UN headquarters.
(XHTV)