Nickolay Mladenov, the United Nations' Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, has called for restraint by all sides to avoid confrontation in the Gaza area. In a media statement, the Bulgarian diplomat said, "I appeal to all Palestinians, to all parents of all children in Gaza today to step back and keep the protests peaceful. I appeal to the Palestinian factions to not provoke incidents at the fence, to stop the firing of rockets and mortars, to stop the incendiary kites and to give peace a chance. I appeal to Israel, to be very restrained in its responses to the situation in Gaza. I appeal to snipers not to shoot children. I appeal to everybody to step back from the brink! But last if not least, I appeal to my colleagues in the international community not to forget the people of Gaza, not to forget the Palestinians who have lived for generations without a state. And to work with us the United Nations with everyone else who is trying to resolve the situation right now."
Mladenov also appealed for continuation of the reconciliation process between Hamas and Fatah, saying, "The only alternative to the efforts to unity among the Palestinian people and factions is fauda (chaos)."