UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — Palestinian and Israeli residents should abolish violence and demonstrate peacefully amid the recent escalation of the conflict in the West Bank, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.
"I urge the youth of Palestine — as the future of your people and society — to turn your frustration into a strong, but peaceful, voice for change. Violence will only undermine the legitimate Palestinian aspirations for statehood and the longing of Israelis for security," Ban said in a video message on Monday.
The latest wave of clashes of the long-lasting Palestinian-Israeli conflict has claimed dozens of lives in the past month.
The core of the conflict is essentially a struggle over land. Palestinians are seeking recognition of their independent state proclaimed in 1988 on the territories of West Bank, which Israel calls Judea and Samaria Area, as well as East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
