NATO warns of regional escalation of Middle East conflict

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed the need to prevent the Middle East situation from escalating into a bigger regional conflict. Speaking at a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, Stoltenberg said that foreign ministers from member countries expressed concern during their meeting about the war in the Middle East. Stoltenberg hailed the prolongation of the Gaza humanitarian truce, which would give assistance to the people of Gaza, more humanitarian aid, and the release of more prisoners and detainees. He expressed his hope that the truce period could be extended once more. He explained that NATO, which includes 31 nations, does not play an active role in the Palestinian-Israeli issue. "Some Allies are active in different ways, but NATO as an organization is not directly involved." Stoltenberg discussed the alliance's presence in the region, citing its close relationship with Jordan as well as its training mission in Iraq to aid in the battle against ISIS and its par tnerships with numerous Arab nations in the Gulf, North Africa, and the Middle East. Stoltenberg made it clear that his message is that in all conflicts, civilian life must always be protected and international and humanitarian law must be adhered to. He did, however, point out that there are major differences between the situation in Gaza and Ukraine, as the former has never attacked Russia or constituted a threat to the latter. Source: Jordan News Agency