Switzerland has cancelled a conference on the application of the Geneva Conventions to the occupied Palestinian territories for want of participants, four diplomatic sources told Reuters on Thursday,

GENEVA (Reuters) - Switzerland has informed states that it has cancelled a conference on the application of the Geneva Conventions to the occupied Palestinian territories for want of participants, three diplomatic sources told Reuters on Thursday.

Switzerland said Thursday it decided to cancel a planned meeting of diplomats to discuss the protection of civilians in Palestinian territories, citing “profound differences” among countries. The conference,

The Palestinian Authority ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ibrahim Khraishi, tells Reuters that his delegation did not plan to attend the event, criticizing a draft declaration circulated among participants.

Switzerland has invited 196 states who are parties to the Geneva Conventions to participate in a conference next week on the situation of civilians living in the Israeli occupied territories, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday.