Israeli-Palestinian conflict will worsen without political change: UN

REUTERS, 30th APRIL, 2019 - The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will worsen if there is no change in approach to the political situation, the UN political chief warned on Monday, saying UN efforts were continually being undermined.

Hopes for a two-state solution were being replaced by “rising fears of future annexation,” Rosemary DiCarlo told the UN Security Council in a briefing, adding: “The possibility of establishing a viable and contiguous Palestinian State continues to be eroded by facts on the ground.”

Shortly before his re-election last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to annex West Bank settlements, which are regarded as illegal under international law by most of the rest of the world.  The Israeli leader has been boosted in his uncompromising approach to the conflict by US President Donald Trump, who has cut funding to the Palestinians and moved the US embassy to Jerusalem.

DiCarlo said Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory continued to expand and were a “violation of international law.”  Conflict “cannot be managed in perpetuity,” she added, arguing that a failure to change political approaches would mean a further deterioration in the situation with “radicalization on all sides, more suffering and conflict.”