UN warns of risk of Israeli-Palestinian escalation
The UN political chief says the risk of escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "is palpable."
Jeffrey Feltman told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that the past month has seen "unconscionable crimes of hatred by extremist elements, reprehensible retaliatory violence, provocations at Jerusalem's holy sites, and a worrying increase in rockets launched from Gaza towards Israel. His comments follow Tuesday's warning by Israel's opposition leader Isaac Herzog that a new Palestinian uprising could be looming after the recent spate of violence. Herzog called on both sides to reduce tensions and restart peace talks. Feltman appealed to political, military, community and religious leaders on all sides "to work together to reduce tensions, reject violence and prevent extremists from escalating the situation and hijacking the political agenda."
