[1]UN Chief Ban Ki-moon on Monday called on all parties in the Arab-Israeli conflict to exercise “maximum restraint” and expressed “deep concern” about the shooting on the Golan heights.
“The secretary-general regrets the loss of life, and extends his condolences to the families of the victims,” said statement by Ban’s spokesman.
“He condemns the use of violence and all actions intended to provoke violence.”
The remarks came after Israeli troops opened fire on Sunday as protesters from Syria stormed a ceasefire line in the occupied Golan heights, with Damascus saying 23 demonstrators were killed.
Hundreds of protesters rushed the ceasefire line, cutting through barbed wire as they tried to enter the territory in a repeat of demonstrations last month that saw thousands mass along Israel’s North.
Similar protests were held in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.
In Majdal Shams, on the Golan, Israeli troops opened fire as demonstrators sought to push through the mined ceasefire line, which had been reinforced with several rows of barbed wire blocking access to a fence.
The UN spokesman said the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) on the Golan was seeking to confirm facts and help calm the volatile situation in the area.
The Secretary-General has been following the events “with deep concern,” the spokesman added.
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[1] http://archive.asianage.com/banjpg-064