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Abbas, Ban Ki-moon agree on immediate cessation of Gaza tension

21 November 2012 17:42 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said here Wednesday that they have agreed on an immediate stop of the ongoing tension in the Gaza Strip, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

At a joint news conference held after their meeting in Ramallah, Ban and Abbas warned of the current conflict's dangerous consequences that may influence the entire region.

"The situation in Gaza is releasing serious and dangerous warnings and we are very much concerned about these developments and their consequences," Ban told reporters.

He stressed stopping firing rockets and missiles that target civilians on both Palestinian and Israeli sides, as well as the respect of international laws and the guarantee to protect civilians in all times.

Israel has been conducting large-scale aerial operations on the Gaza Strip since Nov. 14, which has killed 146 people and wounded 1,110 others, while five Israelis were killed by rockets fired by Gaza militants.

Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and some European countries are mediating a ceasefire agreement between the two sides. However, these efforts are not so far fruitful.

The UN secretary general called for giving opportunities for diplomatic means to end the ongoing violence. He said he believes that ending violence "might be a motivation to resume the peace talks."

"Time for establishing a Palestinian state and achieving the Palestinian aspirations is close, where Israel and Palestinians live in peace and I'm looking forward to back the talks that aim at achieving justice," said Ban.

Abbas told reporters that Israel should be held responsible for blowing up the situation in the Gaza Strip after it assassinated Hamas military leader Ahmed al-Jaabari at the beginning of its operation.

Abbas called on Israel to immediately stop military actions, adding that "I'm certain that if Israel stops, Hamas and the others will stop retaliation."

"I'm not far from my people and the efforts in order to reach a ceasefire agreement. I'm in charge of the Palestinian people whether it is Hamas, Fatah or Islamic Jihad. We are all committed to our people's interests," said Abbas.