The United Nations Assistant Secretary General for political affairs, Ibrahim Gembari, called on both the Palestinians and Israelis to resume peace talks, given recent breakthrough between the two sides.
Gembari, who was speaking yesterday in a special session on the Middle East held by the UN Security Council, said that the UN Secretary General is calling on parties concerned to go forward with the implementation of signed agreements and initiate a dialogue on key outstanding issues.
Secretary General, Pan Ki-Moon, is optimistic regarding the meeting of the Quartet Committee for Middle East peace (United Nations, United States, European Union, Russia) due to be held next week in Washington, Gembari told the Security Council.
Gembari refered to the Palestinian infighting between the two largest Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah, saying that despite the fact that 43 lives have been claimed since the 1st of December last year, the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, could have defused the tension and prevented larger escalation.
