As the meeting began yesterday morning, Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the parties in the Middle East to resist a downward spiral into anarchy. Noting the recent elaboration of a vision for peace by the Middle East Quartet, the Secretary-General said the events of the past few days represented a tragic step in the opposite direction. In the space of three days, a bomb had exploded in a Palestinian school and two suicide attacks had killed Israeli civilians. Such acts were morally repugnant and set back the prospect of a just and lasting settlement.
He appealed to Israel to refrain from actions that were in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. He urged all Palestinians, especially the leaders of all political factions, to renounce “this wicked instrument of terror clearly and irrevocably, now and forever”. The Quartet had called on the Authority to work with the United States and regional partners to implement reform.
Destruction of Palestinian infrastructure, he said, would hamper the ability of Palestinians to respond to that call and also hamper efforts to meet humanitarian needs. The action in Ramallah had already prompted mass demonstrations and the postponement of efforts to address key reform issues.
He appealed to Israel to refrain from actions that were in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. He urged all Palestinians, especially the leaders of all political factions, to renounce “this wicked instrument of terror clearly and irrevocably, now and forever”. The Quartet had called on the Authority to work with the United States and regional partners to implement reform.
Destruction of Palestinian infrastructure, he said, would hamper the ability of Palestinians to respond to that call and also hamper efforts to meet humanitarian needs. The action in Ramallah had already prompted mass demonstrations and the postponement of efforts to address key reform issues.