NEW YORK, 5 January 2009: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is intensifying his diplomatic drive to secure a Gaza ceasefire, meeting with Arab foreign ministers in New York Monday to press for an end to hostilities by both Israel and Hamas while preparing to travel to Washington Tuesday for talks with United States President George W. Bush.
– I’m going to stress the importance of bringing this violent situation to an immediate halt, with the durable and permanent systems which can be respected fully by all the parties concerned, he said of the upcoming meeting with Bush when asked at a press encounter about US “hindrance” to an effort by the Security Council on Saturday to issue a call for a ceasefire.
He told journalists Monday’s meeting with Arab leaders “provided an excellent and appropriate opportunity” to discuss how to bring“ this violence to an immediate end and restore peace and stability in the region, and also a durable peace process which can be fully respected by the parties concerned in the region.
– We have agreed to work very closely so that the Security Council can take decisive and swift and credible action for a binding resolution to bring an immediate end to this crisis and also allow humanitarian assistance to be delivered by opening the crossings [from Israel into Gaza], he added.
– We must insist that Israel end its military assault, which is clearly excessive. We must insist that Hamas end immediately its rocket attacks, which are so terribly counter-productive, in addition to being completely unacceptable. There must be an immediate ceasefire, durable and fully respected by all.
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