RAMALLAH – Palestine Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye yesterday called on the United Nations (UN) to present an initiative for peace in the Middle East to end the country’s conflict with Israel.
Ishtaye made the remarks during a virtual meeting organised by the UN Economic and Social Commission for West Asia at the organisation’s New York headquarters to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
He urged members “to support Palestine’s application to gain full UN membership, put pressure on Israel to allow general elections in Palestine, and hold Israel accountable for crimes it committed against the Palestinians.”
The Palestinians want to establish an independent state alongside Israel on the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 1967, including the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reaffirmed the two-state solution on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
“The UN position is clear: peace must advance, the occupation must end. We are steadfast in our commitment to realize the vision of two states – Israel and Palestine – living side by side in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states,” he said in a message. – Bernama, December 3, 2022