UN Secretary-General: Repeated occupation of territories cannot ensure security to Israel

The repeated occupation of Palestine-controlled territories cannot ensure security to Israel, says Kofi Annan in a message to the 29th session of the Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference which is held in Khartoum (Sudan).

According to Kofi Annan, "he most seriously censures the bomb attacks of suicide terrorists against Israeli citizens." "On no account can they be justified, for they can only do much harm to Palestine," says the Secretary-General.

At the same time, says Kofi Annan, "Israeli military operations, including the repeated occupation of territories under Palestinian control, cannot ensure the justly deserved security to Israel." The number of losses among innocent civilians on either side of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict continues to grow. "I am deeply concerned about the spiralling violence and terror, which hundreds of lives fall victim to," says Annan in his message.

At this complicated moment, continues the Secretary General, the international community, including the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, should not become discouraged. In his opinion "what both sides need more than ever now, is to be set in the direction of political negotiations." "The aim is clear -- a just, all-embracing and stable solution to the problem on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242, 338 and 1397," stresses the message.