UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon condemned “in the strongest terms” Saturday night's attack in the Old City of Jerusalem by a Palestinian assailant, which left two people dead. Ban said he was “deeply concerned that these latest incidents signal a dangerous slide towards escalation.” and spoke against statements from Palestinian militant groups praising the attacks. The secretary-general urged Palestinian and Israeli leaders “to condemn violence and incitement, maintain calm and to do everything they can to avoid further escalation.” He also expressed his firm belief that a “just and lasting solution to the conflict” can only be achieved through negotiations for a two-state solution and reiterated the UN's readiness to “work with all parties to create the conditions on the ground, in the region and internationally to make meaningful negotiations possible.”
