UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced regret on Friday that Israel had launched a ground offensive against Gaza, despite calls for restraint, and stressed that there could be no military solution to the conflict which flared up over a week ago.

“I regret that despite my repeated urgings, and those of many regional and world leaders together, an already dangerous conflict has now escalated even further,” he stated during a meeting with his new envoy for Syria.

“In the past 24 hours, there have been a number of incidents

involving the deaths of civilians, including the appalling killing of four boys on a beach in Gaza City,” he stated.

“I urge Israel to do far more to stop civilian casualties. There can be no military solution to this conflict. This applies as much to Israel-Palestine as it does to Syria.”

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2014