A senior Palestinian official on Monday urged the United States to oblige Israel to accept an independent Palestinian state to end the ongoing conflicts.
"The United States should carry out its pledges to find a fair solution to the Palestinian cause and achieve peace and stability in the region," said Tayeb Abdel Rahim, chief secretary of the Palestinian presidency, when addressing on behalf of Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas a rally held in Ramallah to mark the 46 anniversary of the establishment of Fatah movement.
The senior Palestinian official accused Israel of "making excuses to block the establishment of the independent Palestinian state," adding that "the United States can oblige Israel to accept the establishment of the state."
Hundreds of Palestinians attended the rally, most of whom are Fatah supporters and leaders. They waved Palestinian flags and posters of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
"The Palestinians are ready to establish an independent Palestinian state in the territories occupied by Israel in 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital," Abdel Rahim said.
The growing international recognition of the independent Palestinian state "aimed at bringing about stability, peace and security to the Middle East," he added.
Abdel Rahim reiterated the request that Israel should halt settlement in the Palestinian territories for the resumption of peace talks "simply because peace and settlement never meet."
Meanwhile, he slammed Islamic Hamas movement, which seized control of the Gaza Strip by force in June 2007, for deciding to reshuffle its deposed government.
"Reshuffling the deposed government shows Hamas insists on maintaining the rifts and splits in the Palestinian territories. We will never accept this split to continue," Abdel Rahim said.
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