Peruvian Foreign Minister, Gonzalo Gutierrez, called for the governments of Israel and Palestine to assume a constructive position in a bid to kick off a negotiation table to reach a peace-deal in the Gaza conflict.
He strongly stressed that Peru is against the use of all types of violence as means of resolving conflicts, and added he "deeply rejects" that military actions are resulting in the rising death toll of Palestinian civilians, mostly of them women and children.
Likewise, the top Peru diplomat went on to emphasize the Ollanta Humala administration reaffirms with equal and vehemence force its outright condemnation of all acts of terrorism such as rockets being launched from the Gaza strip to Israel.
In a statement released Friday by the Andean nation’s Foreign Ministry (MRE), Gutierrez noted the Peruvian government does not believe that the ongoing attitude posed by the two sides is the right one to address such urgent matter in the Middle East.
“Peru holds a principled standing and will continue to assess ‘day after day, hour after hour’ how the events are taking place in the area,” MRE’s top executive said. “We will take a decision later in accordance with that development”.
Likewise, he deplored the collapse of the planned three-day cease-fire deal between Israeli defense forces and Hamas militants, promoted by the United States’ Secretary of State John Kerry and the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
"Unfortunately, I have just seen the breakdown of Gaza cease-fire and I deeply regret it, I think both sides, Palestinians and Israelis, should consider to handle a constructive position to get back to the negotiating table," Gutierrez said.
The high-level Government Palace official pointed out that before Peru called in its ambassador in Tel Aviv for consultations, the Foreign Ministry issued two emphatic statements calling for peace and rejecting the use of violence in the region.
The humanitarian truce in Gaza collapsed after two hours it came into effect, following the report of a missing Israeli soldier who is feared to have been abducted in an early morning attack by Palestinian militants at a tunnel near the zone of conflict.
(END) MDV/FHG/LOG
Published: 8/1/2014