RAMALLAH, Dec 23 (KUNA) — The continuation of building more settlements is nothing but deliberate undermining of the positive climate for peace created by the recent Annapolis peace conference, a Palestinian media advisor said on Sunday.
The settlement issue will top the priorities of the Palestinians’ negotiations with Israel and the relations with the US and the friendly countries, Nabil Amr, media advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, told reporters at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah.
Amr urged the US to maintain its own credibility through pressuring Israel to halt its settlement policy which he termed as “devastating.” On the conflict between the two main Palestinian rival factions, Fatah and Hamas, Amr referred to Arab attempts that are impeded by Hamas insistence to benefit the most from the “rebellion’ in Gaza as a ” Fait accompli.” “On behalf of President Mahmoud Abbas, I confirm that we always are for inter-Palestinian dialogue. Hamas should retrocede and comply with the relevant Arab and Palestinians resolutions for the sake of resuming dialogue,” Amr said.
On the truce proposed by Hamas with Israel, he said that that Israel would use Hamas’ need for calmness to pressure the Palestinian Authority and president Abbas. He wondered why Hamas had undermined the truce Abbas concluded with Israel.
As for the recent donors conference held in Paris, Amr said that the money promised through the conference would be used for the Palestinian people through a development plan that would cover the Gaza Strip.(