THE Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana has noted, with growing alarm and concern, the escalating violence between Israel and Palestine which has resulted in the senseless loss of lives, the destruction of property, the displacement of persons, and a further setback in the Middle East.
Reuters reported that Israel carried out hundreds of air strikes in Gaza on Wednesday and Palestinian militants fired multiple rocket barrages at Tel Aviv and the southern city of Beersheba in the region’s most intense hostilities in years. At least 49 people have been killed in Gaza since violence escalated on Monday, according to the enclave’s health ministry. Six people have been killed in Israel, medical officials said. The violence, as reported by Reuters, followed weeks of tension during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, with clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters near Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem.
These escalated ahead of a court hearing – now postponed – that could lead to the eviction of Palestinian families from East Jerusalem homes claimed by Jewish settlers.

According to Reuters, the conflict has led to the freezing of talks by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents on forming a governing coalition to unseat him after Israel’s inconclusive March 23 election.
Locally, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Government of Guyana has condemned all acts of violence and finds repugnant the invasion of the Al-Aqsa mosque.
“We hold sacred and worthy of respect, places of worship of all religious faith. The Government of Guyana implores all parties to apply restraint and to cease all actions that are in contravention of international and humanitarian law,” the statement related.
Guyana’s view is that constructive dialogue between the Israeli and Palestinian authorities is pivotal to advancing the peace process and to the realisation of the two-state solution as the legitimate end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict