23 Feb 2023; MEMO: Following the Israeli killing of 11 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, said yesterday he was "appalled" by the loss of civilian lives.
In a statement Wennesland said: "I am deeply disturbed by the continuing cycle of violence and appalled by the loss of civilian lives."
He added: "I am continuing my engagement with all concerned parties to deescalate the situation. I urge all sides to refrain from steps that could further inflame an already volatile situation."
Meanwhile, US State Department Spokesman Ned Price said the Biden administration "is extremely concerned by the levels of violence in Israel and the West Bank."
He added: "We wish a speedy recovery to those injured and our hearts go out to the families of the innocent bystanders who were killed today."
READ: US extremely concerned by levels of violence in Israel and West Bank
Price continued: "We recognise the very real security concerns facing Israel. At the same time, we are deeply concerned by the large number of injuries and the loss of civilian lives."
He warned that the killing of Palestinians might undermine recent efforts exerted by the US administration to de-escalate tensions.
"We had productive conversations in recent days with the parties and with US regional partners in support of efforts to prevent further violence. We are deeply concerned that the impact of today's raid could set back efforts aimed at restoring calm for both Israelis and Palestinians."
Early on Wednesday, Israeli occupation forces raided the city of Nablus and murdered 11 Palestinians, including a 72-year-old man and a 16-year-old child, in addition to wounding 102 others.
