Nicolay Mladenov told the Security Council that illegal settlement expansion by Israelis and the lack of Palestinian Authority control in Gaza remain among the biggest obstacles to peace.
Mladenov called for a "radical overhaul of how we deal with the problems of Gaza," and said the area "remains in the grip of militants, and dependent on aid and humanitarian assistance."
He also flagged "a surge in Israeli settlement-related announcements and demolitions," since the Quartet of Mideast peace negotiators the United States, Russia, the European Union and the UN issued their report which aimed to restart Israeli-Palestinian negotiations which have been dormant since 2014, when a US peace initiative failed.
Since July 1, Israel has advanced the construction of over 1,700 housing units in the occupied West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, Mladenov said.
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The Israeli government is also undertaking a survey to identify potential "state land" in sensitive areas, something Mladenov said could "enable the establishment of a new settlement on the outskirts of Bethlehem."
Mladenov also expressed concern over the apparent extrajudicial execution of a man by Palestinian security forces in Nabulus on August 23 and called for a thorough independent investigation.
And he denounced rocket attacks by Gaza militants on August 21 and the Israeli response, firing missiles and shells at suspected military installations in the territory.
He said one positive development has been the signing of an electoral code of conduct to which all parties must adhere ahead of the Palestinian local council elections scheduled for October 8.
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