United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has urged an end to spiralling violence as he met Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, saying all recent killings must be thoroughly investigated.
Ban's visit today was aimed at calming three weeks of deadly unrest in which 51 Palestinians and eight Israelis were killed across Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces today. In Hebron, 54-year-old Hashem al-Azzeh died after inhaling excessive tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers during protests, while 22-year-old Mutaz Atallah Qassem was fatally shot near Ramallah while allegedly attempting to stab an Israeli soldier.
“We will continue to support all efforts to create the conditions to make meaningful negotiations possible,” Ban told journalists after meeting Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah earlier in the day.
“But ultimately it is for Palestinians and Israelis to choose peace. Our most urgent challenge is to stop the current wave of violence and avoid any further loss of life.”
The UN chief, who met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, said: “the only way to end the violence is through real and visible progress toward a political solution, including an end of the occupation”.
“I have stressed to both Israeli and Palestinian leaders the urgent need to reaffirm through words and deeds that they are partners for peace.”