NEW YORK
The head of the U.N. on Monday urged Israel and Palestine to revive peace talks that have been stalled for months, according to a statement from his office.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon in New York during the minister’s five-day working visit to the U.S.
“The Secretary-General stressed the vital importance of the Israelis and Palestinians returning to dialogue to resolve their issues. There was no time to lose if hope was to be kept alive,” the statement said.
The U.S.-brokered direct Palestinian-Israeli talks came to a halt in April after Israel failed to honor an earlier promise to release a number of Palestinian prisoners.
Ban also reaffirmed his intention to establish an independent inquiry into the Israeli shelling of schools run by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees during the recent 51-day conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Six U.N. schools providing shelter to thousands of displaced Palestinian civilians were targeted by Israeli forces during the onslaught that started July 7.
The Israeli offensive killed more than 2,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and more than 10,000 others were injured, according to Palestinian health officials.
The U.N. chief was in Gaza Oct. 14 for an hours-long visit as part of a larger regional tour.
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