Israel says the Palestinian dismay at the partial halt of settlement expansions should be the last issue of concern.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said that Israel disregards Palestinians’ opposition to its offer for a partial freeze on its settlement activity.

"The last thing that should interest us is the Palestinians’ concern. Before the Palestinian issue, what should interest us are our friends in the world," Reuters quoted Lieberman as saying on Thursday.

Israel on Wednesday declared a 10-month moratorium on some settlement activity in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem Al-Quds.

The acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas has called for a full halt to settlement construction as a condition for reviving peace negotiations that have been suspended since December.

It "brings nothing new. Settlement activity will continue in the West Bank and Jerusalem [Al-Quds]," Abbas said, pointing to Israel’s offer for a partial settlement freeze.

(Press TV)