SECRETARY-GENERAL STRONGLY CONDEMNS TEL AVIV SUICIDE BOMBING,
SAYS VIOLENCE CANNOT SOLVE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the double suicide bombing by Palestinian militants yesterday in Tel Aviv that killed at least 23 people and wounded more than 100.� He sends his deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims.� The Secretary-General reiterates his long-standing position that such terrorist bombings are morally reprehensible and completely unjustified.� They also run counter to every effort to find a peaceful solution to the current crisis.
Violence cannot solve the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.� The Secretary-General calls on all Palestinians to pursue non-violent policies, as embodied in the international effort to end the crisis through the Quartet and its road map for a just and comprehensive peace.� Mindful of the tragic killings that shatter lives on both sides, the Secretary-General also urges the Government of Israel to act with restraint in responding to this deadly attack and to help
de-escalate the current violence.
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