Palestinian PM urges Israeli leader to prove support for two-state solution

Ramallah, Sep 27 (IANS) Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye has urged his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid to prove his support for the two-state solution by stopping settlement building and ending the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip."Whoever claims to believe in the two-state solution must stop settlements, lift the siege on Gaza, open Jerusalem and stop the settlers' repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa mosque, which have reached their climax today," Ishtaye said on Monday during the weekly cabinet meeting, according to an official statement.In his address to the UN General Assembly last week, Lapid said a large majority of Israelis, including him, "support the vision of the two-state solution" despite all obstacles, Xinhua news agency reported.Earlier on Monday, the Israeli police broke into the holy site in the Old City of Jerusalem to remove Muslim worshippers and provide a safe ground for Jews marking the Jewish New Year (from September 25 to 27 this year), the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.The Palestinian Prime Minister called for an international movement to protect the Palestinian people, hold Israel accountable for its actions and practices, and end the occupation.The last direct peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, sponsored by the US, broke down in 2014 over their deep differences on the issues of borders, security and settlement.
--IANS int/khz/

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