UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Palestine said here Monday there were "diminished hopes" in the peace process with Israel to translate the two-state solution into reality, and urged the international community to act to help reach the goal.
Riyad Mansour, the permanent Palestinian observer to the United Nations, made the statement as he was taking the floor at an open meeting of the UN Security Council on the current situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
"The political process has remained deadlocked and the situation on the ground has sharply deteriorated," Mansour said. " Israel's flagrant flouting of the law has obstructed the resumption of peace negotiations and intensified hardships for the Palestinian people in all aspects of life."
The two-state solution, widely supported by the international community, means a secure Israel to live in peace with an independent State of Palestine.
The direct peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis were stalled in September 2010 due to Israel's settlement activities in the occupied territory.
The Palestinian ambassador called Israel's actions a "grave breach of international humanitarian law," noting that "Israel has not only continued, but intensified, its expansionist, colonial drive."
"We reject all such illegal Israeli measures in the Holy City and demand their immediate cessation, reaffirming once again that East Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian land occupied since June 1967 and is the heart and capital of the State of Palestine," said Mansour.
Mansour was firm in his urgent demand for international action, saying "We remain adherent to our conviction that action by the international community is imperative for averting the deepening of this crisis."
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday urged Palestine and Israel to adopt concrete measures, start peace negotiations at an early date and make substantial progress.
China's Permanent Representative to the UN Li Baodong made the statement while addressing an open Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East. Full story
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Arab countries on Monday called on the UN Security Council to take action to prevent "the continuous Israeli violations against the Palestinian population in the occupied Palestinian territory."
The statement came as Mootaz Ahmadein Khalil, the Egyptian permanent representative to the United Nations, was addressing an open meeting of the Security Council on the current situation in the Middle East, including the question of Palestine, on behalf of the Group of Arab states in the United Nations. Full story
RAMALLAH, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas secretly met Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Jordan Thursday, a Palestinian source revealed Monday.
King Abdullah II of Jordan also participated in the meeting which was held in Amman, the source added. Full story
|
