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Israeli-Palestinian conflict

UN Security Council urges Israelis, Palestinians to observe ceasefire

Also, the Security Council called for urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian civilian population

MOSCOW, May 22. /TASS/. The UN Security Council on Saturday called upon the Israelis and Palestinians to observe the current ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, according to a statement released by the UK mission to the United Nations.

"The members of the Security Council welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire beginning May 21 and recognized the important role of Egypt, other regional countries, the UN, the Middle East Quartet and other international partners played in this regard. The Security Council called for the full adherence to the ceasefire," the statement says.

Council members also reiterated the importance of "achieving a comprehensive peace based on the vision of a region where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace with secure and recognized borders."

Also, the Security Council called for urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian civilian population.

The Egypt-brokered ceasefire in the Gaza Strip came into force overnight to May 21, after eleven days of missile strikes. At present, the main task of the Palestinian government is to cope with consequences of the aerial attacks, which inflicted the damage of about $350 million. Moreover, 80% of Gaza residents currently experience problems with water and electricity supplies.

Radical Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli army have been exchanging bombardments since May 10, following unrest near the Al Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, triggered by an Israeli court ruling to confiscate homes from several Arab families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

The radicals fired more than 4,000 missiles against the territory of the Jewish state. In retaliation the Israeli military bombed hundreds of targets in the enclave. A total of 232 Palestinians were killed and 1,900 injured in Gaza and no less than twelve people in Israel.

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