Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 11 / Trend U. Sadikhova /
Israel hopes that the indirect talks with the Palestinians, under the mediation of the United States, will be resumed by the end of February, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in Baku today.
"There is no alternative to direct negotiations between the two parties. We think that it is necessary to start indirect talks as soon as possible", Lieberman said in an interview with the Azerbaijani media outlets.
The negotiation process between the Palestinians and the Israelis was virtually ceased after the start of Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip in summer of 2008 and the military operation of the Israeli army "Cast Lead" in Gaza, in response to rocket attacks by Palestinian militants, RIA Novosti reported. As a result of military actions in Gaza in December 2008 - January 2009, about 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis died.
Since then, the international community, including mediators from the Middle East Quartet (Russia, U.S., EU, UN) and the leading politicians of the region unsuccessfully tried to resume the negotiation process.
A major mediator in the peace process - Washington proposed the parties to begin an indirect dialogue, which will restart the peace agreements.
The stumbling block in this process is the refusal of the Palestinian Authority to negotiate till Israel fully ceases building of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim as a capital of a future state.
According to Lieberman, Israel hopes that the indirect talks mediated by U.S. envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, will be launched by the end of February. Direct talks with the Palestinian Authority will be resumed within a month.
"Israel has reached all peace agreements through direct negotiations, in particular, agreements with its neighbors - Egypt and Jordan," Foreign Minister said.
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