Eid al-Fitr 2015: Isreali PM Netanyahu tells Palestinian President Abbas he wants peace in phone call to mark end of Ramadan
The Israeli Prime Minister reportedly wished Mahmoud Abbas a happy Eid
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Your support makes all the difference.Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken to the Palestinian President for the first time since last summer’s Gaza war to wish him a happy Eid.
The rare phone call came as Muslims around the world celebrated the end of the holy month of Ramadan yesterday.
A spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister’s office said Mr Netanyahu told Mahmoud Abbas that “the citizens of Israel want peace” and the country would “continue to act toward regional stability”.
Mr Abbas reportedly told him it was important to establish a lasting peace deal within the next year, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA.
It was the first time the leaders have spoken in 13 months, AFP reported.
A year ago, Israel was bombing Gaza as part of Operation Protective Edge, aimed at stopping Hamas firing rockets towards civilian areas after three Israeli teenagers were murdered in the West Bank.
More than 2,100 people were killed in 50 days of shelling and air strikes, mostly Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Peace negotiations continue between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, who dispute borders drawn up after the Six Day War in 1967.
Mr Netanyahu and Mr Abbas opposed on the framework for a peace agreement, with the Israeli Prime Minister rejecting the internationally-supported idea of reinstating pre-1967 boundaries.
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