(TPS) The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, condemned Palestinian violence and incitement, as well as efforts to construct cross border attack tunnels in Gaza, in a briefing to the United Nation’s Security Council on Monday.

In reference to the cross-border tunnel demolished by the IDF on October 30, Mladenov noted that Islamic Jihad had said its aim in constructing the tunnel was to kidnap Israeli soldiers and that it had also stated that it will continue to pursue this goal.

“I call on the international community to join the UN in condemning the continued construction of tunnels and such reckless statements,” Mladenov said. “At a time when Palestinians in Gaza – who have lived with closures for a decade, who have survived three conflicts, and have had to struggle to merely exist – are seeing hope for the future, such actions and statements risk a dangerous escalation that could destroy the prospects for intra-Palestinian reconciliation.”