The international Middle East Quartet on Friday called on Israelis and Palestinians to fulfill their obligations and to refrain from taking any steps that could undermine confidence or jeopardize negotiations.
"The Quartet called upon both sides to fulfill their obligations under the Roadmap. It also called on both sides to refrain from any steps that undermine confidence or could prejudice the out comeof negotiations," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement after the meeting.
The Quartet expressed its deep concern at continuing settlement activity and called on Israel to freeze all settlement activity, Ban said.
The Quartet also called for continued emergency and humanitarian assistance and "the provision of essential services to Gaza without obstruction."
"The Quartet expressed its continuing concern over the closure of major Gaza crossing points given the impact on the Palestinian economy and daily life," the statement said.
The shortage of basic good, fuel and electricity has strangled Gaza's economy, and made life for its 1.5 million inhabitants "intolerable."
The Quartet also "called on the Palestinian Authority to fulfill its commitments to fight terrorism and to accelerate steps to rebuild and refocus its security apparatus," he said.
"Much more remained to be done" to improve the situation on the ground, the UN chief said.
Ban said the Quartet expressed its strong support for ongoing Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and encouraged the parties to make every effort to realize the shared goal of an agreement on the establishment of a Palestinian state by the end of 2008.
The Quartet emphasized the urgent need for progress and called for international engagement in support of negotiations, he said.
The Quartet also called on Arab states to honor their financial and political pledges made at a Paris conference in December 2007 to help the Palestinians.
Humanitarian conditions in Gaza deteriorated after Israel sealed the strip of land after the Islamist Hamas movement took over power in June 2007. Israel says the blockade was aimed at stopping Hamas rocket attacks into Israel.
The Quartet also discussed the proposal for an international meeting in Moscow to lend continued support for the parties in their negotiations and efforts on the ground, Ban said.
The Mideast Quartet is comprised of the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union (EU).
The Quartet meeting was represented by Ban Ki-moon, Russian Foreign MInister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
Source:Xinhua
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