Palestinian official says new Israeli government is anti-peace

The newly formed Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is against peace and that it leads the region to violence, a senior Palestinian official said Thursday.

"The new government of Netanyahu, which is a narrow right-wing one, is against peace and leads the region to more violence, blood shed and radicalism," chief Palestinian negotiator Sabe Erekat told Xinhua.

"This Israeli government is a government of settlers and it is a government of settlement unity that aims at destroying the two-state principle," Erekat said.

On Wednesday night, Netanyahu informed the Israeli president that he had finished formation of the new government. His Likud Party won the parliamentary elections held on March 17.

The veteran Palestinian politician said those who still believe in a possibility to resume the peace negotiations in accordance with the two-state principle should "review the remarks of this government's ministers who called frankly for the killing of Palestinian women and children."

U.S.-sponsored direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians stopped in March 2014 after going on for nine months without any significant progress.

Meanwhile, Sami Abu Zuhri, Islamic Hamas movement's spokesman in Gaza, said that Hamas can face all challenges posed by the new Israeli government's policies in the area.

"Regardless of who will be in the new Israeli government, we as Palestinians are able to confront the challenges that will be imposed by this government," Abu Zuhri told Xinhua.

"The new government reflects the spirit of radicalism of the Israeli society," Abu Zuhri said. Endit