Nikolai Mladenov, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said on Tuesday that the problem of the Gaza Strip is political in nature, stressing that "there is no state in Gaza, no country without Gaza."
"Only sustainable political solutions will reflect the current negative trajectory and restore hope to Gazans who have suffered so long," Mladenov said.
In a related context, Mladenov said his efforts on the Gaza crisis would continue, afterthought: "But the crux of this crisis is political, and significant progress remains to be made in lifting the closures and pushing forward the internal Palestinian reconciliation.
Mladenov called on all Palestinian factions to engage seriously with Egypt in reconciliation efforts.
He also welcomed Israel´s decision to increase the fishing zone to 15 nautical miles in certain places, pointing to the need for a significant improvement in the movement and access of goods and people, including between Gaza and the West Bank.
