Moscow calls for end to Palestinian-Israeli violence

Moscow is concerned over Israel's military operation on the West Bank and calls for an end to the violence, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said on Friday.

Moscow "is worried by the actions of Israel that objectively heat the tension on the Palestinian territories, including the military operation conducted on January 4 in the West Bank administrative center Ramallah," Kamynin was quoted by the Itar- Tass news agency as saying.

Russia is "convinced that an end must be put to violence in the Israeli-Palestinian relations," Kamynin said.

"This operation has led to new victims among the civilian Palestinian population," he said.

"Over the past two days, six more Palestinians have been killed and tens wounded in the Gaza Strip. In these conditions, the mood to reach accord demonstrated by the Palestinian leaders, not to allow an expansion of the fratricidal conflict on the 'Palestinian street' looks absolutely timely," he said.

"We welcome this intention declared after the first meeting over a fairly long time between Palestinian National Authority head Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya," Kamynin said.

"It is very important that the right decisions made at this meeting, including refusal of violence and armed opposition, be put in practice really and in full," he said.

Moscow proposes "using its political contacts, as well as the format of the 'quartet' of the international mediators, including holding its meeting at a ministerial level and the activity of the institution of special representatives," Kamynin said.

Source: Xinhua