Russia calls on Israel, Palestine to refrain from ‘confrontational steps’

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia on Friday called on Israel and Palestine to refrain from “confrontational steps” and to end the “escalation” of violence.

"We call on the parties involved in the conflict to refrain from confrontational steps, to act in the interests of preventing further escalation, ending violence and restoring a sustainable cease-fire," a Foreign Ministry statement said.

“We reaffirm the importance of respecting the status quo of the Holy Sites of Jerusalem and respecting the rights of believers of all faiths,” the statement added.

It said that the only way to ensure long-term stabilization of the situation is to establish a full-scale negotiation process aimed at “working out a compromise formula for a Palestinian-Israeli settlement on a well-known international legal basis.”

"In the absence of a clear 'political horizon' for a comprehensive solution to this long-standing problem, relapses of violent confrontation are inevitable," the statement said.