By Xinhua,
Ramallah : A Palestinian negotiator on Wednesday said Palestinian and Israeli peace negotiators have gaps over all issues they discuss.
“The issues of negotiations face real difficulties and there isa gap over all the issues,” the Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekattold Voice of Palestine radio.
However, Erekat said the negotiations, resumed by U.S. mediation last November and are going on with the hope of reaching a deal by the end of this year before President George W. Bush quits the White House, were serious and tackle all the final-status issues that have been outstanding between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).
The two negotiation teams met Tuesday in Jerusalem as part of their regular meetings to discuss the final issues such as Jerusalem, settlements, border, water and refugees.
“Closure, checkpoints, walls and the continuation of settlement activities indicate the difficulty of making a peace agreement,” Erekat said, calling on the U.S. administration to intervene.
During the meeting, the Palestinians demanded Israel to cancel a decision of building 286 houses in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, the territory which the Palestinians accepted to be part of their future statehood, according to Erekat.