CAIRO, January 15, 2009 (WAFA)- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon began an intensive mission to try to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, meeting with Egyptian President Husni Mubarak and King Abdullah of Jordan, as the reported death toll from Israel’s 19-day offensive against the Strip topped 1,000.

“My goal is an immediate end to the violence in Gaza,” Ban said. It is intolerable that civilians bear the brunt of this conflict.

 Ban, who then went to Jordan for talks with King Abdullah, is also scheduled to confer with the leaders of Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Syria in an intensified drive for a diplomatic solution and relief for the humanitarian crisis now besetting Gaza, which UN officials have called “horrific” with thousands of wounded and desperate shortages of basic necessities.

“At each stop, I will repeat my call for an immediate and durable ceasefire and insist that Security Council Resolution 1860, demanding a ceasefire, be fully respected by all the parties,” he told reporters, spelling out his agenda.

“Second, I will demand that urgent humanitarian assistance be provided, without restriction, to those in need. The United Nations' mandate is to help those who are suffering.

“Third, I will encourage diplomatic efforts underway among concerned parties, and in that regard I highly recommend the initiative of President Mubarak and the Egyptian Government officials,” he added, calling for intensified negotiations to provide arrangements and guarantees to sustain a durable ceasefire.

UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes today allocated some $7 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for Gaza. “Humanitarian needs in Gaza are massive, and this funding will help jump-start urgent programmes to provide food and clean water to those seeking to survive the fighting,” he said.