Palestinians: Israel settlements led to peace talks impasse

RAMALLAH - US-sponsored peace talks with Israel have reached an impasse because of Jewish settlement activity, a Palestinian spokesman said Thursday, as plans for over 2,000 West Bank units were moved forward.

The latest crisis comes as Washington scrambles for a formula to allow the Palestinians and Israelis to carry on the peace talks beyond an April 29 deadline.

"Israel's settlement activity caused the negotiations to fail and led them to an impasse," Nabil Abu Rudeina, a spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, told AFP. (AFP)