RAMALLAH, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A senior Palestinian negotiator on Tuesday denied reports that the United States presented new proposals for resuming peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel.
Saeb Erekat, the negotiator, said the Palestinian leadership received no offers from the Obama administration regarding Jewish settlement activities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Erekat also stressed that the settlement construction must be completely suspended, not partially.
Earlier Tuesday, Israeli media reported that Washington suggested that Israel suspends settlement activities partly without announcing this officially to bring the Palestinians back to the negotiating table.
The reports said that Washington will also present guarantees to the Palestinian leadership that it will take "firm" procedures against Israel if it violated its commitment to partially suspend building.
Erekat reiterated that the Palestinian leadership wants Israel to recognize the two-state solution defined by the 1967 borderline and completely freeze the settlement activities, including East Jerusalem.
Israel resumed the construction in West Bank settlements last year. As a result, the Palestinians withdrew from U.S.-brokered peace talks and the negotiations have been in a stalemate since then.
On Monday, Israeli media revealed plans to build a new settlement of 1,400 housing units in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians consider a future capital. This would be the first new settlement to be built in the city since 1997.
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