UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday strongly condemned a reported attack by Israeli settlers on a mosque in Deir Istiya in the occupied West Bank, his spokesperson said.
"Such acts of violence and desecration of religious sites are unacceptable," said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson. "Religious sites must be respected and protected at all times."
Dujarric said that Guterres condemns all attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank, adding that such incidents are part of an increasing pattern of extremist violence that is inflaming tensions and must stop immediately.
"Israel, as the occupying power, must protect the Palestinian civilian population and ensure that those responsible for attacks are held accountable," the spokesperson said.
The Palestinian Liberation Organization's Commission Against the Wall and Settlements said in a statement that Israeli settlers set fire to parts of the mosque and wrote anti-Islam slogans on its walls on Thursday.
The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs said that the act violated international law and conventions protecting freedom of worship and the establishment of places of worship. It urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Arab and Islamic states to take actions to "end these attacks, which defy description."
In the Gaza Strip, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it has been leading a number of assessments across Gaza to areas where people are living or have moved, including in proximity of the so-called "Yellow Line," where Israeli ground forces remain present.
"Humanitarian teams note that communities in these areas urgently need aid -- and it is essential that services are restored quickly," OCHA said. "These assessments will inform a rapid response by the UN and its partners to the most critical needs, which include water, food, shelter, hygiene supplies and healthcare."
The office said that as winter takes hold, its humanitarian partners working on shelter distributed thousands of tarpaulins, blankets, mattresses and clothing kits to vulnerable people across Gaza on Monday.
Regarding ongoing efforts to improve access to healthcare, partners also reported important progress, with 27 health service points reopened or newly established across Gaza since the ceasefire came into effect.
However, the office said that multiple impediments are still restricting humanitarians' ability to scale up the response as quickly and efficiently as they have the capacity to do.
OCHA said that the United Nations and its partners underscore the need to open additional crossings into Gaza, resolve bottlenecks, fully facilitate humanitarian agencies' operations and provide safety guarantees for humanitarian convoys.
The office said that partners working to support water, sanitation and hygiene report that various equipment needed to improve critical infrastructure and address public health risks remains blocked by Israeli authorities from entering Gaza. Such equipment includes machines urgently needed to contain and properly dispose of medical waste.
"Not having this equipment inside the Strip increases public health risks and contributes to the already dire sanitation and hygiene situation across Gaza," OCHA said. ■
