UN human rights commissioner Mrs Mary Robinson said today she supported calls for the creation of a Palestinian state, and said independent monitors should be used to help halt violence in the Middle East.
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"The occupation (of Palestinian territory by Israel) itself is at the heart of the human rights violations, and it has to be addressed," Mrs Robinson told a news conference.
"And I welcome the reference now to the need to establish a Palestinian state said openly by (US) President Bush and others," she added.
The United States has expressed in recent weeks support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and said it should be the ultimate outcome of peace talks.
The calls for an independent state have come against the backdrop of a renewed international push for peace in the region in the wake of the September 11th attacks in the United States.
Mrs Robinson said she understood the need for Israelis to feel secure, and said independent observers in the region would help halt the spiralling violence.
"There is also an acute need for human security for the Israeli population, and I hope that the current initiatives that are taking place today in difficult circumstances will make progress," Mrs Robinson said.
She said she hoped it will be possible to have independent eyes and ears on the ground to stop the terrible spiral of violence .
Israel has repeatedly rejected calls for outside observers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, believing they would side with the Palestinians.
More than 900 people have been killed in the 14-month-old Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation.