SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS CLOSED ISRAELI MILITARY ZONE IN OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN

TERRITORY ‘CAN ONLY UNDERMINE’ PEACE EFFORTS

The following statement was issued today by the Office of the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General is concerned by the announcement earlier today by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) that it has established a closed military zone in the northern part of the occupied Palestinian territory.� The creation of such a zone will impose additional restrictions on the Palestinians' movement.� It is a unilateral and provocative act, contrary to the signed agreements between Israel and the Palestinians, and it can only undermine ongoing efforts to find a way out of the present crisis.

While Israel has a legitimate concern for its security, such concerns can, in the end, only be satisfied through a decisive effort to reach a peaceful settlement to the conflict, in accordance with Security Council resolutions 242 and 338.� An early and productive meeting between Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and President Yasser Arafat would be an important step in this direction.

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