Despite Israel’s refusal to extend its settlement freeze, the Palestinian Authority (PA) will still resume the second round of direct talks with Tel Aviv.

The upcoming meeting will be held at Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and acting PA Chief Mahmoud Abbas held the first round of negotiations in Washington on September 2.

Following the first meeting, Abbas warned that he would leave the negotiations should Israel resume its illegal settlement activities.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell will also travel to Egypt to attend the meeting.

The four officials will then move to al-Quds (Jerusalem) for a second day of talks on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama will meet with Abbas and Netanyahu in New York next week during the UN General Assembly meeting.

The second round of Israeli-PA talks comes after Israel on Monday approved the construction of more than 13,000 new settler units in the occupied West Bank.

In November, the Israeli premier announced a 10-month freeze on illegal settlement expansion projects in the occupied West Bank.

But Tel Aviv has repeatedly violated the freeze, which expires on September 26, by continuing to construct more settlement units.

(Press TV)