United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday reiterated his calls for an immediate and durable ceasefire in Gaza and said the Security Council resolution passed last week, Resolution 1860, must be implemented. “My message is simple, direct and to the point: the fighting must stop, and to both sides I say, just stop now. Too many people have died. There has been too much civilian suffering. Too many people, Israelis and Palestinians, live in daily fear of their lives, and, in Gaza, the very foundation of society is being destroyed—peoples' homes, civic infrastructure, public health facilities and schools,” Ban said to reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York. Ban leaves for a visit to the Middle East on Tuesday and will make stops in Israel and the West Bank during his week-long trip, during which he said he will repeat his calls for a ceasefire. “My goal is to step up the pace of our joint diplomatic efforts and to ensure that urgent humanitarian assistance reaches those in need. We have a Security Council resolution demanding an immediate and enduring ceasefire. In the name of humanity and international law, this resolution must be observed…it is time to stop. It is time to stop the killing and destruction,” Ban said. He also paid tribute to U.N. staff on the ground in Gaza and Israel. “We have 10,000 staff on the ground in the Occupied Territories and in Israel. I want my visit to be a tangible expression of support for their work under the most difficult and dangerous circumstances. I salute their bravery and their dedication to the U.N.'s mission.” “Most of all I want to demonstrate my deep concern and empathy for the innocents caught in this terrible tragedy, both in Israel and the Occupied Territories. More than 900 Palestinians have died, about 4,000 have been injured. They have no place to hide, no place to run,” Ban said. The secretary general will begin his trip in Cairo and move on to Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Turkey, Lebanon and finally Kuwait where he will attend the Arab Economic Summit.
