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PNA slams Israel for legalizing settlement outposts

Xinhua, November 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) slammed the Israeli government on Sunday for its decision to legalize settlement outposts and prevent loudspeakers calls for prayers in the West Bank.

Nabil Abu Rdineh, an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in an official statement that "the Israeli measures will drag the entire region into disasters."

He also said that "these measures are totally rejected," and warned that the PNA will go to the United Nations Security Council and all other international agencies to prevent the escalated Israeli measures."

Settlement is one of the most sticky issues that obstructed the resumption of the peace process that had been stalled since April 2014. Since then, the Palestinians and the Israelis were unable to resume their peace talks.

Reyad al-Malki, the PNA minister of foreign affairs told earlier "Voice of Palestine" Radio that the Israeli government "is trying to make use of the current international and regional atmospheres by legalizing its settlements."

However, he said that France is determined to hold the international conference for peace in the Middle East to end the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict before the end of this year.

He stressed that France will keep going on with its measures to hold the conference in spite of Israel' s opposition to the idea, adding that a French envoy is expected to visit in the Palestinian territories to discuss holding the conference.

"The Palestinian side will present to the French envoy a list of the countries the Palestinians wish to invite to the international peace conference," said al-Malki, adding that "all issues related to holding the conference will be debated."

The senior Palestinian diplomat said the Palestinian side applied to Egypt asking for holding a meeting with the Arab Ministerial Quartet to discuss the question of settlements, "but until now, the Egyptian side didn't respond to our request." Enditem