We have learned with regret that a decision was taken at the meeting held yesterday with the participation of Palestinian groups to postpone the parliamentary and presidential elections to be held for the first time since 2006 in Palestine.

It is seen that the main reason that led the Palestinian groups to take this decision was Israel's refusal to respond to the application made by the Palestinian Authority for holding of elections in East Jerusalem and its obstruction of the election campaigns.

We call upon the Israeli Government to end its obstructive policies and to respect the provisions of the 1995 Oslo Interim Agreement, so that the Palestian elections will be conducted at the earliest possibility.

On a separate note, we hope that the decision to postpone the elections will not have a negative impact on the intra-Palestinian reconciliation process, to which our country attaches great importance. We encourage all Palestinian groups to continue working towards unity and reconciliation.