Beijing - The international community has urged restraint and negotiations after a surge of violence between Israelis and Palestinians in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Confrontation erupted last month after Israeli police raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque to prevent Palestinian youths from attacking far-right Jews who visited the same site known as Temple Mount to Jews on the occasion of the Jewish New Year.
In the latest violence, a Palestinian mother and her daughter in Gaza were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Sunday, after which France expressed its concerns and urged swift moves to ease tension and resume diplomatic talks to end the year-old deadlock in the Middle East.
“Everything must be done to calm the situation. This new deterioration of the situation also confirms the urgent need to rebuild political prospects,” said a statement of the Elysee Palace.
Tensions have been going on for more than a week, with violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces reported in more than 50 different locations, including East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Jenin, Tulkarm and Nablus.
In the past week, Palestinians carried out more than 10 stabbing attacks in Israel, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, in which four Israelis and more than 10 Palestinians were killed and about 1 000 people wounded.
Violent clashes flared after Hamas gunmen killed an Israeli couple in a drive-by shooting near Nablus in northern West Bank, and a Palestinian young man stabbed and shot two other Israelis in the Old City of Jerusalem before he was shot dead by Israeli security forces.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the violence and voiced the firm belief that a negotiated two-state solution is the only way out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“The secretary-general firmly believes that a just and lasting solution to the conflict can be achieved only through pursuing a negotiated two-state solution,” said a statement of Ban’s spokesman.
The two-state solution, widely backed by the international community, envisions a secure Israel living in peace with an independent state of Palestine.
The European External Action Service said on October 4 that the latest attacks in Jerusalem were intended not only to cause human suffering, but also to undermine the prospects for peace.
“The political solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, through negotiations, is urgently needed to end the human suffering on all sides,” said the service in a statement.
“It is of utmost importance that all sides use all means at their disposal to condemn acts of violence, cooperate to bring perpetrators to justice, de-escalate the situation and contribute to calm and stability,” it added.
However, within the next day, a young Palestinian was reportedly killed by Israeli police near the Old City in unknown circumstances, and two others, including a 13-year-old boy from Aida Refugee camp, were reportedly killed during clashes with Israeli security forces.
In addition, a Palestinian was reportedly shot Wednesday by police in Israel’s Kiryat Gat after attempting an attack.
On Friday afternoon, Israeli troops shot dead a young Palestinian man in the southern West Bank city of Hebron after he stabbed an Israeli soldier, and earlier that day Israeli police said they arrested a Palestinian suspect for stabbing a 14-year-old boy in Jerusalem.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said on Thursday that he was extremely concerned about the increased tensions and violence in occupied Palestinian territory, and stressed that calm can only be restored on the basis of respect for human rights.
“More bloodshed will only lead to more hatred on both sides, and offer no solution in the long run,” Zeid said in a statement.
According to his agency, at least 134 Palestinians have reportedly been injured by live ammunition in clashes with Israeli security forces since September 28, and hundreds more have been injured by tear gas and rubber bullets.
“The high number of casualties, in particular those resulting from the use of live ammunition by Israeli security forces, raise concerns of excessive use of force, and violations of the right to life and security of the person,” said the high commissioner.
Tensions between Jews and Arabs in the area increased amid the standstill in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority since April 2014.
Xinhua