By KUNA
Gaza : Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Oreikat has affirmed that the Palestinian side is exerting all possible effort to maintain the settlement talks and calm with Israel.
Egypt is also exerting intensive efforts to enforce a sustainable truce with the Israelis in the Palestinian territories to safeguard welfare and interests of the people in Gaza Strip, Oreikat said in remarks broadcast by Voice of Palestine Radio.
The senior official expressed hope that all Palestinian factions would cooperate for maintaining calm and paving way for lifting the Israeli siege on Gaza Strip.
Israeli media reported today that an informal truce in the territories had been effected, coinciding with noticeable drastic drop in missile attacks from northern Gaza in the direction of southern Israel.
According to diplomatic sources, Egypt has worked out a plan for a sustainable settlement between the Palestinians and Israelis, stipulating in part permanent cessation of the missile attacks, allowing personnel of the Palestinian authority to resume their tasks at the passageways in the territories in return for a halt of Israeli military offensives.
Oreikat expressed dismay at an Israeli declaration made yesterday on plans to erect 850 settlement units north of Jerusalem. “This is a serious matter which we condemn and Israel cannot launch peace negotiations while continuing attacks and building more settlements,” he said, adding that the authority contacted the Americans to try dissuade the Israelis from taking such steps.