Israel’s government has proposed harsh measures against Palestinians in response to an increase in violence on Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
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On Monday, Erekat told journalists that Abbas would send a letter to the Quartet members to the effect that negotiations could not resume without a full cessation of settlement building – including in East Jerusalem – indicating that the reported decision to cut ties with the group wound not have been made until later that day.
Another 240 units will be constructed in Ramot, Har Homa and Pisgat Ze’ev, all settlement neighborhoods in annexed East Jerusalem.
According to the reports, 560 homes will be built in Maale Adumim, a large settlement in the occupied West Bank near Jerusalem.
On Thursday, 13-year-old Israeli-American Hallel Yaffa Ariel was fatally stabbed in Kiryat Arba settlement on the outskirts of the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron.
Over the past nine months, Israeli troops and some armed civilians have killed about 200 Palestinians – majority alleged by Israel to be attackers carrying out stabbings, shootings and vehicle attacks.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said Israel will reduce the amount of tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinians each month, saying it would offset money Palestinian officials give to families of attackers.
In its report, the Quartet also questioned Israel’s commitment to the two-state solution following its policy of increasing settlement construction.
As the rift between the Palestinian authorities and Israeli leadership deepens, the two-state solutions seems less likely in a foreseeable future, according to the report by Middle East Quartet published on Friday.
The extraordinary measures include locking down the entire Hebron district, home to 700,000 people, Netanyahu said.
Checkpoints and closures were still in place at entrances to the city on Monday.
A wave of violence since October has killed at least 214 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese.
In course of the raids Sunday, six Palestinians, including the sister of the attacker, were arrested by Israeli forces.
“Thus, if any party wants to reinvigorate peace talks, it must face the truth and suggest a way to talk about how and when the occupation will end”, Shtayyeh said.
Hebron has always been a flashpoint in the conflict, with hundreds of Jewish settlers living under heavy military guard in the heart of the city among some 200,000 Palestinians.
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The army says riots erupted during the demolitions and Palestinian demonstrators opened fire on soldiers, who returned fire toward the “main instigators”.
