UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre) and Israeli Defence Minister Mishe Yaalon (L)

Speaking at a meeting with Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon in New York on Monday, Ban said that Israel and Palestine needed to resume a dialogue to resolve their disputes. He hailed the Israeli government’s support for creating a mechanism to facilitate Gaza’s reconstruction. Palestinian officials said that Egypt had proposed that Israel and Palestine join an indirect round of negotiations in Cairo next Monday to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza. Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzuk said that Palestinian factions would attend the indirect talks with Israel as Egypt suggested. The discussions will mainly be centred on building a sea and air port in Gaza, the release of Israeli soldiers captured by Hamas, and reviewing the two sides’ implementation of last August’s cease-fire agreement.