The building of settlements and the construction of the security fence represent an obstacle to the continuing of the peace process, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas told the European Union’s secretary for foreign affairs, Javier Solana, during a meeting on Monday.
“All settlement activity and construction of the fence must stop,” said Abbas.
The Palestinian leader also said that diplomatic dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians was continuing in an effort to bring about a smooth Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
| Jihad |
|
| PA: Islamic Jihad committed to calm / Ali Waked |
|
Ahmed Qureia's statement comes one day after Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for a terror attack at the central bus station in Be'er Sheva, in which two guards sustained serious injuries |
| PA: Islamic Jihad committed to calm |
|
|
|
“Everything must be done to bring a solution accepted by both sides,” said Abbas, who also praised the deployment of Egyptian troops in Rafah, calling the move “very important.”
Solana said he had noticed a significant improvement in Gaza since his last visit a month ago, and pledge EU financial and political support to both Israel and the Palestinians.
Addressing reports claiming that the European Union was interested in opening a channel of communication with Hamas, and to remove the organization from the list of terror organizations, Solana said that “the stance of the European Union remains unchanged. The Hamas must change its behavior and approach in order for the European Union to change its stance towards it.”
Egyptian envoy
On Sunday evening, Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman met with a Palestinian governmental delegation dedicated to overseeing the disengagement, and headed by Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qureia.
Qureia said that the Egyptians had been updated on steps taken by the Palestinians ahead of the completion of the withdrawal.
Suleiman also met with representatives of the Islamic Jihad terror group in Gaza, who told him that the organization is sticking to the ‘calming down period.’
The representatives said that they were not at all sure that members of their organization were responsible for the suicide attack in Be'er Sheva on Sunday.
On Tuesday, Suleiman is expected to meet with a number of Palestinian factions, and talks are expected to focus on the period immediately after Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.
The Egyptians are hopeful for a calm period ahead of the upcoming local and general Palestinian elections, during which tensions between the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas are expected to be high.
RSS
