Israel’s UN ambassador on Wednesday accused the Palestinians of ruining any chance for reconciliation by seeking an opinion from the UN Security Council over the Israeli “occupation,” while the Palestinian envoy condemned the Jewish state’s new government.

To kick off the usually contentious monthly forum on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the United Nations Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland warned that a “dangerous cycle of violence persists on the ground, amidst increased political tensions and a stalled peace process.”

“Israelis and Palestinians remain on a collision course amid escalating political and inflammatory rhetoric as well as heightened violence in the West Bank – both with potentially grave consequences,” he added.