Palestinians accuse Israel of setting up obstacles to harm peace bid

Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sunday that Israel is putting obstacles on the ground, ahead of the upcoming visit to Israel by U.S. President Advisor Jason Greenblatt.

The ministry said in an emailed press statement that "the Israeli government continues to implement it's settlement schemes aiming at more Palestinian land grab, unraveling preliminary measures and bulldozing operations to bailiff thousands of new settlement units in occupied Jerusalem."

The ministry denounced the settlement activity "that are aimed at destroying the two state solution," and represents "a preemptive measure and hinders the path of the international and U.S. efforts aiming at reviving negotiations between both sides, particularly ahead of the important visit by U.S. president's envoy Jasin Greenblatt to the region."

Palestinian sources said that Israeli authorities have approved construction of settlement units in Palestinian towns of East Jerusalem and open new roads connecting settlements to one another, cutting off geographical contiguity of Palestinian territories.

Sources added that Israeli authorities issued notifications for Palestinians living in villages near Tulkarem, north of the West Bank to take over 142.3 dunums (1 dunum equals 1,000 sq. meters) of land that are close to the Green Line.

The Green Line is the 1967 border that represents the demarcation line defined in the 1949 armistice agreement between Israel and it's Arab neighbors after the 1948 war. It was considered the de facto borders of the State of Israel since 1948 and until the Six Days War in 1967.

On Saturday, the Palestinian President Spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeinah said that the resumed communique between the Palestinian leadership and the U.S. administration "represents a clear message that the resolution (of the conflict) lies in the international, Arab and Palestinian legitimacy that are not illusions or projects irrelevant to the unraveling course of events."

World powers, including U.S., have condemned the Israeli settlement activity, which is considered one of the main disputes between Palestinians and Israel.

Source: Xinhua