The “Quartet” of Middle East peace mediators urged a prompt resumption of talks between Israel and the Palestinians after a meeting in Munich on Sunday and voiced concern about the slow pace of reconstruction in Gaza, damaged in last year’s war.

Talks broke down last April with the Palestinians angry at continued building of Jewish settlements in occupied territory and Israel furious at attempts to bring Hamas, which officially denies Israel’s right to exist, into the Palestinian government.

“The Quartet underlined the importance of the parties resuming negotiations as soon as possible,” the group comprising the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia said in a joint statement after their meeting in Germany.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, Russia’s Sergei Lavrov and deputy U.N. head Jan Eliasson reiterated that talks must respect Palestinian aspirations for statehood and Israel’s security concerns.

“The Quartet is deeply concerned over the difficult situation in Gaza where the pace of reconstruction needs to be accelerated to address the basic needs of the Palestinian population and to ensure stability,” said the diplomats.

They urged donors to disburse the more than $5 billion in aid for the Palestinians pledged last October in Cairo to repair damage from the war in the tiny coastal territory. More than 2,100 Palestinians and 73 Israelis died in the fighting.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount