Egypt called on the peacemakers for exerting more efforts to prevent further deterioration in the region in the shed light of the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians.
Egyptian Minister of Information Safwat A1 Sherif called through an interview with the BBC for solidifying efforts to stop the escalation and bring the peace process back to its track after being derailed for almost 16 months.
“There is still a chance to regain peace if the two sides make use of the Mitchell recommendations and Tenet understanding,” Sherif was cited by BBC as saying.
He was quoted by Arabic News as saying that “the Palestinians and Israelis should make use of such opportunity and halt acts of retaliation in order not to escalate the situation.”
Sherif asserted the importance of contacts by Egypt and Jordan with all the parties concerned both Israelis and Palestinians in cooperation with the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations to end the vicious circle of violence and bring the two sides to hold dialogue, the report said.
Meanwhile, Arab states demanded on Wednesday immediate international protection for Palestinians under Israeli occupation at a controversial conference in Geneva on the Jewish state's handling of human rights in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib, speaking on behalf of Arab states, said that the latest Israeli measures against the Palestinians had to stop immediately as any further escalation would only trigger reprisals and hinder the Palestinian National Authority's ability to maintain law and order in areas under its control.
Khatib was quoted by the Amman-based Jordan Times as saying that “in light of the serious Israeli escalation and bombardment of Palestinian installations in the West Bank and Gaza, we reiterate our call for providing necessary protection for the occupied Palestinian people without further delay.” – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
