Acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas has accused Israel of crippling the peace process by refusing to completely freeze settlement activity on the occupied Palestinian lands.
Speaking at a meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Tuesday, Abbas said the Middle East peace process has been stalled "because Israel cannot stop the settlements or recognize international law."
"Israel accuses us of acting unilaterally but they act unilaterally every day," Abbas said, adding that the Palestinians will demand a UN resolution declaring that all the lands seized by Israel in 1967 should be considered as occupied territories.
"We will say to the Security Council that we want a resolution based on previous resolutions that the occupied territories are the lands occupied in 1967," he said.
The Palestinians have repeatedly called for a clear framework for the talks and a timetable for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem Al-Quds, which was occupied by Israel in 1967.
The regime however has failed to fulfill its commitments to stop settlement work.
Israeli President Shimon Perez said last month, "The minute we shall start to negotiate there won’t be new settlements; there won’t be confiscation of land."
The Palestinians demand a full freeze on settlement construction as a pre-condition for the resumption of peace talks.
(Press TV)