quartet

The United Nations and its diplomatic partners in the search for peace in the Middle East today urged both Israel and the Palestinians to avoid actions that undermine trust between them and instead engage in positive actions that are conducive to the resumption of direct negotiations.

The United Nations and its diplomatic partners in the search for peace in the Middle East on Saturday strongly condemned the attacks in southern Israel earlier this week, as well as all acts of terrorism in the region, and urged all parties to exercise restraint.

The United Nations and its diplomatic partners in the search for a Middle East peace today urged Israel to continue its settlement moratorium in the occupied Palestinian territory in the interests of resumed negotiations between the sides and called on Arab States to support the talks.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined the other members of the diplomatic Middle East Quartet today in calling on Israel and the Palestinians to fulfil their agreed obligations in the search for peace, adding that it is important to work hard towards meaningful progress.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon departs later today for Trieste, Italy, for a series of meetings with international partners focusing on the Middle East and Afghanistan, his spokesperson said today.

The United Nations and its diplomatic partners in the search for Middle East peace – the European Union (EU), Russia and the United States – called today for an intensification of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, urging both sides to take the necessary steps to reach this goal.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will host a meeting in New York on Monday of his top diplomatic partners engaged in the search for a solution to the Middle East conflict based on the principle of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed profound concern over the humanitarian suffering in the Gaza Strip while stressing the importance of the Middle East diplomatic Quartet in the ongoing efforts to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The international grouping, including the United Nations, which is seeking to promote peace in the Middle East today called on all Palestinians to commit themselves to non-violence and recognition of Israel, and on Israel to freeze all settlement activity, including natural growth, and to dismantle outposts erected since March 2001.

The Middle East diplomatic Quartet today stressed the urgent need for more visible progress on the ground to support ongoing Israeli-Palestinian negotiations aimed at settling their conflict, and voiced hope that the current calm in Gaza will continue.