The US ambassador to the United Nations says the United States has been working tirelessly through diplomatic channels to try to end the conflict between Palestinians in Gaza and Israel and is warning that the current cycle of violence will only put a negotiated two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict further out of reach.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a high-level emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday and Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken with senior Israeli, Palestinian and regional leaders.

At the same meeting, Israel’s UN ambassador called the rocket attacks launched by Gaza’s Hamas rulers against Israel completely premeditated to gain political power and replace the Palestinian Authority as the leader of the Palestinians.

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He said the rocketing of Israel was part of a vicious plan by Hamas, which not only seeks the destruction of Israel but is vying to take power in the West Bank and was frustrated when Abbas postponed elections last month that would have been the first in 15 years.

First Published:May 17, 2021 7:53 AM IST