Update: Abbas urges UN chief for int'l protection of the Palestinians

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday urged UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon to ensure international protection for the Palestinian people.

"We reiterate on our request from the UN to ensure international protection to the Palestinian people amid the ongoing wave of violence with Israel," Abbas told a news conference following a meeting with Ban in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

"A protection system to the Palestinian people is necessary amid the measures and practices they face from the violence and the terrorism of the occupation and the settlers, including the collective punishment," said Abbas.

He went on saying "the only thing remained is to ask for international protection," adding "we hope if you (Ban) held us in ensuring this protection."

Ban's visit to the region came as a flaring wave of violence between Israel and the Palestinians has so far killed 49 Palestinians and nine Israelis and wounded more than 2,000, most of them are Palestinians.

The current wave of violence, in the form of lone wolf attacks by Palestinians against Israelis in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza strip, has claimed the lives of 10 Israelis and more than 40 Palestinians.

Earlier in the day, the UN chief met with Rami Hamdallah, prime minister of the Palestinian consensus government at the Palestinian presidency headquarters.

Ban has on Tuesday held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over defusing the flaring wave of tensions between Israel and the Palestinians that has been going on for three weeks.

A UN spokesman had earlier said that the Secretary General has always expressed his deep concerns and pain for the flaring escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine.

While he was in Israel on Tuesday, Ban urged the two sides to act swiftly in order to prevent a "downward spiral" after three weeks of ongoing violence.

"Israel and the Palestinians must make difficult decisions in order to reach peace," Ban said during a press conference with Netanyahu prior to a meeting between the two in Jerusalem on Tuesday evening.

Ban called on Israel to investigate any claims of improper use of force and refrain from steps that may further ignite tensions and raise fears and anger among more than 2.5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

He referred to a slew of measures Israeli authorities deployed to fight the wave of violence, including, among others, erecting concrete stabs in Palestinian villages in east Jerusalem and setting up checkpoints in their entrances, as well as demolishing homes of militants.

Ban stressed the urgent need for diplomatic prospects and renewing negotiations between Israeli and the Palestinians, warning that unilateral actions on behalf of both parties "would lead to a downward spiral."

"We must prevent a deterioration of the situation, we need to create the conditions for negotiations that would end the occupation," the UN official said. "The only way to end this conflict is through negotiations that would bring about substantial results."

Also on Wednesday, Nabil Abu Rdineh, aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, warned in an official press statement that tensions would flare up if the Israelis continue to kill the Palestinians.

"The killing and incitement will ignite further violence and will exasperate the situation if it is not stopped," said Abu Rdineh, accusing Israel of obstructing efforts to defuse ongoing tensions in the Palestinian territories.

"United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban ki-Moon along with the United States are exerting efforts to defuse current tensions, however, Israel impedes the efforts by attempting to alter the historic reality in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound," he said. Endit