UNRWA Expects Lifting Of Gaza Blockade To Be Discussed At Middle East Quartet Meeting

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) expects that the lifting of the Gaza blockade will be discussed during a meeting of the Middle East Quartet, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told Sputnik

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th June, 2021) The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) expects that the lifting of the Gaza blockade will be discussed during a meeting of the middle East Quartet, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told Sputnik.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has been an active proponent of the Quartet holding a minister-level meeting to facilitate the peace process between Israel and Palestine. In May, Lavrov and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres agreed on the need to convene a Quartet meeting. According to the UNRWA chief, it is imperative to have a political framework for the reconstruction of Gaza.

"One way to look at this would be to look at lifting the blockade on Gaza in order to promote movement of people, movement of goods and trade in line with [the UN] resolution 1860. That is certainly an issue, which I would expect would be discussed in this type of a forum," Lazzarini said, adding that a better political environment would help the reconstruction efforts on the ground.

The humanitarian situation in the region was greatly undermined by the armed face-off between Israel and the Hamas movement, which took place this May in the wake of increasing tensions between the Palestinians and Israelis.