UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urge him to renew Israel's commitment to a "two-state solution" to the Middle East conflict.
Netanyahu won re-election this week after a close-fought parliamentary campaign in which he toughened his stance, vowing he would thwart the creation of a Palestinian state.
Since winning the vote - and amid a storm of international criticism - Netanyahu has tried to walk back his remarks, protesting in US media interviews that his position has not changed.
But Ban still felt the need to remind Netanyahu of his previous commitments to a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians that would see two states living side-by-side.
"The secretary general reiterated his view that the two-state solution was the only way forward and urged the prime minister to renew Israel's commitment to that goal," Ban's spokesman said.
"The secretary-general also urged the prime minister to release the tax revenue currently held by Israel but owed to the Palestinian Authority," the statement added.
Netanyahu's rhetoric also has also drawn a rebuke from Israel's steadfast ally Washington and the White House has warned it may reconsider its stance on advancing the peace process.
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