The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on Monday condemned the Israeli decision to build 112 housing units in the settlement of Bitar Elit south of Jerusalem, and insisted to continue supporting the popular protests against the Israeli measures in the West Bank.
Ghassan al-Khatib, spokesman of the Palestinian government of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, said in a press statement that "this settlement was built on a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in 1967 war, no matter if it is in the West Bank or near Jerusalem. "
"Carrying out such actions and decisions, is like putting the stick in the wheels of the efforts exerted by the United States on reviving and activating the stalled peace process," said al-Khatib, adding "the PNA considers the Israeli decision provocative."
The Israeli decision to expand the settlement of Bitar Elit was made a day after Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) accepted a U.S. proposal, backed by the Arab League, over resuming indirect peace talks between the two sides for four months.
"The decision is another provocative Israeli action that coincides with the Palestinian side declaration that it accepted to go for indirect talks with Israel," said al-Khatib, calling on the U.S. and the international community for more pressure on Israel to stop settlement activities.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Dahlan, a central committee member of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, condemned the Israeli decision to expand the settlement, adding that "the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is putting mines to blow up the indirect negotiations."
"The Israeli government decision to expand settlements is a clear evidence that this Israeli government is not interested in the peace process and doesn't respect the U.S. role which seeks a peaceful permanent solution," Dahlan said in a press statement.
In October last year, the Israeli government had decided to halt construction into Jewish settlements in the West Bank only for 10 months and excluded the settlements located in and around East Jerusalem. The PNA rejected the Israeli decision.
Meanwhile, Israel's Haaretz newspaper quoted Palestinian sources as saying that Yuval Diskin, the head of Shin Bet security service, told Palestinian security chiefs that Israel may have to expand detention raids in the West Bank if the PNA does not withdraw its support to these protests.
The PNA rejected Diskin's warning and said it will continue supporting "the Palestinian peaceful struggle against the Israeli expansion of settlements, the construction of the barrier in the West Bank and the attacks on Palestinian shrines in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem."
Nabil Shaath, chief of foreign relations in Fatah movement, told a group of Italian peace activists he received in Ramallah that the Palestinians will continue their "peaceful and popular struggle to confront the Israeli plans," calling for more support of foreign peace activists.
"Israel continues its policies of demolishing houses, confiscating lands, expanding settlements, building the wall and most recently attacking shrines in the West Bank and at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem," said Shaath. "Israel doesn't want the Palestinians to have their independent state."
Every Friday, the Palestinians in the West Bank organize peaceful protests and demonstrations against the construction of the barrier that Israel has been building over the past seven years. Clashes usually erupt with the Israeli army.
Last month, Israel started to reroute the track of the barrier near the West Bank village of Bilin under a high court order following years of weekly protests.
More protests have taken place since Israel announced it would add two West Bank shrines to its list of Jewish heritage sites. Al- Khatib said the decision in addition to house demolishing in East Jerusalem "motivate the Palestinian people to escalate their protests."
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