Abbas May Quit Future Talks with Israel

The acting Palestinian Authority chief has warned that it will quit peace talks with Israel, should the Tel Aviv regime continue its settlement activities.

In a letter to the European Union, Mahmoud Abbas said that "if Israel resumes settlement activities, we cannot continue with negotiations."

Abbas wrote the letter to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton dated August 21, AFP reported on Monday.

He noted that Israel’s ongoing settlement activities, home demolitions, evictions, land confiscations and ID revocations would undermine talks.

Abbas said he had warned US Middle East envoy George Mitchell that the talks could be stopped by a resumption of settlement activities.

On Friday, Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted mediation to revive direct talks in Washington on September 2.

Israel is carrying out settlement activities in the occupied territories, especially in East al-Quds (Jerusalem), despite international calls to stop such activities.

Ashton’s spokesman Darren Ennis announced the EU was drafting a response to the letter, saying "our focus is on making sure the talks take place on September 2."

The European Union is part of the Middle East Peace Quartet alongside the United States, Russia and the United Nations.

(Press TV)

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