UN chief slams Israel’s ‘unilateral’ actions that harm Palestinians amid COVID-19 outbreak

Guterres was responding to a letter penned by the Arab League Secretary General Ahmad Aboul Gheit. (File/Reuters)
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  • Arab League Secretary General Ahmad Aboul Gheit has warned Israel might exploit the pandemic to annex parts of the Palestinian territories
  • The UN chief said such “unilateral Israeli actions” would jeopardize negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians

DUBAI: The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has criticized Israel for its intention to annex parts of the West Bank, especially amid the coronavirus outbreak that poses risks to the fragile Palestinian community.

Guterres was responding to a letter penned by the Arab League Secretary General Ahmad Aboul Gheit warning Israel might exploit the pandemic to annex parts of the Palestinian territories, the Jordan News Agency reported.

The UN chief said such “unilateral Israeli actions” would jeopardize negotiations between the two groups, as well as kill other efforts of a peace deal.

Aboul Gheit had earlier urged the UN to take seriously Israel’s actions against regional stability and security.