United Nations

A special United Nations session on the situation in the Middle East saw UN Under Secretary for Diplomatic Affairs Ibrahim Gambari praise Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, following the disengagement from Gaza and the northern West Bank.

The special session was held under the Japanese presidency of the council, under the title, ‘the situation in the Middle East and the Palestinian question.’

Gambari said he was pleased with developments in the region and praised IDF forces on “their sensitivity in carrying out the mission.”

The session then continued behind closed doors, and a statement is expected to be released on the state of the Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Speakers during the session demanded that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas act to restrain Palestinian terror groups, and Israel was told to stop construction in the West Bank.

“Abu Mazen must develop a security system that will guarantee that the Authority will be the only power that can use force,” said Gambari.

But the session wasn’t entirely rosy for Israel, when Gambari said that in the past month, Israel had continued actively building settlements, and highlighted the new construction plans in the Muslim quarter in east Jerusalem, Maale Adumim, Gush Tzion, and the Jordan Valley.

He also mentioned the borders of the security fence, saying that the fence penetrated and expropriated Palestinian land.

Reproduced with permission: Ynetnews