MIDEAST-UN/BAN ARRIVAL U.N.'s Ban arrives in Ramallah to push for peace talks, Gaza reconstruction

Record ID: 565603

  • Title: MIDEAST-UN/BAN ARRIVAL U.N.'s Ban arrives in Ramallah to push for peace talks, Gaza reconstruction
  • Date: 13th October 2014
  • Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (OCTOBER 13, 2014) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** LINED UP PALESTINIAN PRESIDENTIAL GUARD UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL, BAN KI-MOON AND PALESTINIAN OFFICIAL WALKING ON RED CARPET, OBSERVING HONORARY GUARD MAN STANDING NEXT TO PAINTING OF JERUSALEM'S DOME OF THE ROCK BAN WAVING TO REPORTERS BAN SHAKING HANDS WITH PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER RAMI HAMDALLA CLOSE OF UN FLAG ON VEHICLE EXTERIOR OF PRESIDENTIAL PALACE
  • Embargoed: 28th October 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA4BL2G3GYIA0OTXPTNTIV8IXZ0
  • Story Text: United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday (October 13) for a two-day visit during which he will meet with Israeli and Palestinian leadership and visit Gaza Strip where rebuilding efforts in the wake of a devastating war are gathering pace.
    Ban, who attended a Gaza reconstruction conference in Egypt on Sunday (October 12) is expected to urge Israelis and Palestinians to return to the negotiation table to achieve peace agreement and push for advance construction efforts in Gaza.
    On Monday he was welcomed in Ramallah by an honour guard before he met with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdalla.
    The visit comes after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry who also attended the Cairo conference has called for a renewed commitment to achieving Middle East peace, saying a lasting deal between Israel, the Palestinians and all their neighbours could be achieved.
    But prospects for a renewed peace process appeared dim as Kerry offered no specifics on how to restart negotiations.
    Ban is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later in the day and travel to Gaza on Tuesday (October 14).
    Gaza reconstruction conference raised more than $5 billion in aid for the Palestinians after a devastating war in the tiny coastal territory.
    The last round of U.S.-brokered peace talks foundered in April over Israeli objections to a Palestinian political unity pact that included the Islamist Hamas movement and over Palestinian opposition to Israeli settlement expansion.
    The Palestinians have put the cost of reconstruction at about $4 billion and Norway's Foreign Minister Borge Brende said the conference had secured $5.4 billion in aid, half of which would be used for rebuilding Gaza and the rest could go to other Palestinian areas.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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