In their Monday meeting the West Bank cabinet ministers expressed positive sentiments around current US efforts to halt settlement construction and limit Israeli incursions into Palestinian areas.

In a statement summing up the proceedings of the meetings, ministers expressed their hope around the visit to the region of US Special Middle East envoy George Mitchell this week. The cabinet said the visit indicates the serious of the US administration around re-launching the peace process.

The cabinet said it hoped US President Barack Obama would continue to show the same energy and maintain pressure on Israel until negotiations are resumed, settlement is completely halted including natural growth, and all settlement outposts are removed.

The cabinet also requested the US step up efforts to stop all Israeli incursions and apprehension campaigns in the Palestinian territories and call for a break in the siege on Gaza.

The ministers collectively affirmed their adherence with the political agenda of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the 1988 declaration of independence, the international resolutions on the question of Palestine, and the Arab peace initiative. It is these documents, according to the cabinet session, that will end Israeli occupation, establish independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital. This will naturally mean solving all the final status issues including refugees.