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Russian diplomat urges resumption of Israeli-Palestinian talks

The diplomat pointed out that US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel triggered a wave of protests

MOSCOW, December 13. /TASS/. Resumption of Israel-Palestine talks will help ease tensions in the Middle East where the situation has escalated after Washington’s decision to move US embassy to Jerusalem, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

"Moscow takes with serious concern the situation in the region sparked by the US Administration’s controversial step on Jerusalem," Zakharova said. "We are convinced that the way out of the deadlock of violence and tensions can be nothing but restart of the talks between Israel and Palestine in order to achieve a firm and, certainly, long lasting solution to the conflict on the basis of the world community’s well-known decisions."

"We proceed from the fact that until that, all the interested sides should show restraint and refrain from actions which could affect innocent people and [could] jeopardize prospects for peace, justice and security for everyone in that region," Zakharova said.

The diplomat pointed out that US President Donald Trump’s decision on December 6 to move the US embassy to Jerusalem has triggered a variety of protests in the Palestinian territories on the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip along with Israel’s Arab districts.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that up to date four Palestinians have been killed and about 2,000 have been affected, while dozens sustained gunshot wounds in clashes with Israeli police. Mass protests are underway in other Arab and Muslim countries. Among them are Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Turkey, Indonesia and Malaysia, Zakharova said.