On the Palestinian issue.. Wencesland: Negotiations can no longer be postponed indefinitely

On the Palestinian issue.. Wencesland: Negotiations can no longer be postponed indefinitely

The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wencesland , said on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue , that "negotiations can no longer be postponed indefinitely."


"The absence of a peace process aimed at ending the Israeli occupation and resolving the conflict, fuels a dangerous deterioration throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, especially in the West Bank, and leads to a perception that the conflict cannot be resolved," he added in a briefing before the Security Council session on Wednesday.


He continued, "The current path leads us towards a permanent state of violence and conflict. Meaningful initiatives are needed to change the current path and are urgently needed."


The UN coordinator stressed that "ending the occupation and achieving the two-state solution requires collective international efforts."


In his quarterly briefing on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2334, which calls on Israel to halt settlement activities, Wencesland asserted that "there has been little progress in implementing the resolution since its adoption in December 2016".


Addressing the Security Council, he said, "I remain deeply troubled by the continued Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem,...", adding that "demolitions and appropriation of private property of Palestinians remain a serious concern. "