UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The UN Special Coordinator for the Peace Process in the Middle East Robert Serry on Monday said a two-state solution to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict is at risk.
"The lack of progress between Israelis and Palestinians on the political track and the continuing conflict and occupation put at risk the viability of the two-state solution," said Serry in a briefing to the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East.
According to him, the stakes for a resolution are high with the Palestinian Authority (PA) facing a difficult economic climate, including decreased foreign aid and a slowing economy.
"There is no more sobering a manifestation of such a risk than the financial and economic crisis currently afflicting the Palestinian Authority," said Serry.
While there has been some "positive quiet dialogue," he said, no effective progress had been made on core issues and recent attacks on Palestinians in the occupied territory are also exacerbating tensions.
Serry expressed his hope that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in cooperation with the Quartet (composed of the UN, Russia, the European Union and the United States), "will chart a credible, political way forward in the coming months."
In a press briefing here, UN Spokesperson Martin Nesirky said, "The Road Map devised by the Quartet is credible" and has "been agreed to by all parties."
The Road Map for Peace was originally framed in 2002 by the Quartet but has facilitated little progress in resolving the conflict.
As the tenuous relationship is increasingly pressured by political tensions, "the time has come for the international community to seriously reassess its role in resolving the conflict, " said Serry.
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