"Israel wants to neutralize the efforts of the international community, but we on the contrary are in favor of their activation. We want the UN Security Council to consider this case, as this is the mechanism that could contribute to peace in the Middle East," Afif Safia told a press conference.
Safia said bilateral talks bring nothing but delays in reaching a final decision on establishing a Palestinian state. He added that the quartet of international mediators, namely Russia, the United States, the UN and the EU, should act with more enthusiasm.
The Palestinian ambassador said the Palestinian National Administration is in favor of holding an international conference on the Middle East settlement in Moscow and is ready to take an active part in it.
Asked when it should be held, he said: "We would like it to have taken place yesterday", adding that Tuesday's Quartet statement "confirmed the necessity of holding it in Moscow and readiness to discuss the issue in September 2008, at the same time as when the UN General Assembly is held."
According to Safia, the main reason that the conference has been postponed so many times is that Israel does not want any third party to be involved in conflict settlement.
Israel imposed restrictions on essential supplies to Gaza in an attempt to pressure Hamas over rocket attacks and since the radical group, considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the U.S. and some EU states, seized control of the enclave from the pro-presidential Fatah movement in June last year.
Russia as a member of the Quartet of Middle East mediators has offered to host a Middle East peace conference in Moscow as a follow-up to last November's U.S.-sponsored meeting in Annapolis, Maryland.
Israel and the Palestinian National Authority pledged in Annapolis to resume peace talks, draft a settlement plan by late 2008 and come to terms on the form of a future independent Palestinian state. However their talks have so far made little tangible progress.
A spokeswoman for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday Israel has closed Gaza border crossings after Palestinian militants launched mortars at the south of the Jewish state, violating the Egypt-sponsored truce deal reached last week.
The six-month truce between Israel and Hamas-led militants came into force at 06:00 a.m. local time (03:00 GMT) on June 19. The deal is limited to the Gaza Strip.
Under the agreement, which is now looking increasingly under threat, Israel is to gradually abolish economic sanctions imposed on Gaza, and the sides are to continue to negotiate the release of the kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held captive in Gaza for exactly two years.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last week described the ceasefire as "fragile" and said he expected it to be "very short."
