Mideast ‘Quartet’ to Prepare Report on Peace Prospects

The international diplomatic “quartet” on the Mideast says it will prepare a report on the current situation between Israel and the Palestinians with an eye toward resuming peace talks.

After meeting Friday in Munich, the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia said the report would include “recommendations that can help inform international discussions on the best way to advance the two-state solution.” The group lamented the fraught state of relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority as “unsustainable,” which it said is “dangerously imperiling” the goal of an independent Palestine.

It cited ongoing Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians, the demolition of Palestinian buildings and continued Israeli settlement activity as major obstacles. It also called for particular attention to be paid to dire humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.