In the wake of continued riots in the West Bank, the United States on Wednesday urged both the Palestinians and the Israelis not only to "refrain from provocative actions," but also to consider "positive steps to reestablish trust and deescalate the current tensions."
Deputy State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said: "We call on Israelis and Palestinians to exercise maximum restraint as the situation on the West Bank remains tense."
Following the autopsy of Palestinian detainee Arafat Jaradat, Ventrall said the US "expect[s] all parties to consider the results of the autopsy calmly and without inflammatory rhetoric."
He stated that the US understands Israel is "looking into this very carefully," adding that Israel and the United States are in discussion over the broader issue of hunger strikes and administrative detention.
In response to a question probing the deputy spokesman on "putting the onus" on the Palestinians to not react to the death of a prisoner, Ventrell responded to say the US is pressing both sides to exercise restraint, "calmly and without inflammatory rhetoric."
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