The UN envoy to the Middle East on Thursday expressed serious concern over the continued stalemate in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, as violence and unrest continue to unfold throughout the region.
The UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Robert. H. Serry, said there is "low confidence and trust" between the parties. He made the statement in a briefing to the UN Security Council.
The peace negotiations are at a standstill as Palestinian leaders ended U.S.-brokered direct talks with Israel in September, following Israel's refusal to extend a moratorium on settlement construction.
On Feb. 18, the United States vetoed a Security Council draft resolution that condemns Israel's settlement activity in the Palestinian West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal.
As negotiations remain at an impasse, "the credibility of the Quartet will be at stake," Serry told reporters following the Council briefing.
The Quartet -- a diplomatic group consisting of the UN, the United States, Russia and the European Union -- is scheduled to meet in mid-March.
Meanwhile, the Quartet envoys will meet separately with Israeli and Palestinian officials to consult on core issues of the peace process, said Serry.
"The time has come for the Quartet to lay down a more concrete and substantive basis for those talks, and I very much hope that in the coming weeks this is what we will be able to do to help the parties move forward," he said.