UN chief heads to Middle East to help end Gaza crisis

NEW YORK- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon leaves Saturday(July 19th) for the Middle East to help end the conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, the UN political chief said.

At an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman said a cease-fire is “indispensable.” But the only way to make it stick is for the international community to “assume its responsibility to urgently help restore a serious prospect for a two-state solution that brings an end to the decades-long conflict and occupation,” he said.

The U.N. refused to say where Ban was heading on Saturday, but Feltman said he wants to “express solidarity with Israelis and Palestinians,” so he will almost certainly visit both places, though almost certainly not Gaza for security reasons. The U.N. chief also plans to in work coordination with key regional and international players, he said. (QNA)