Mahmoud Abbas: “Restoring credibility to the peace process require compelling Israel to cease all settlements”
Palestinians are willing and ready to reach a comprehensive and just peace agreement, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has said.
However, in an address to the UN General Assembly, he said Israel must choose between peace and the continuation of settlements.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks resumed in September after a 20-month hiatus.
But Palestinians say they will stop unless Israel extends a moratorium on settlement building in the West Bank.
The moratorium is due to expire on Sunday.
Israel has so far refused, saying settlement building is not an impediment to talks.
The BBC’s Bridget Kendall in New York says Mr Abbas stopped short of publicly threatening to withdraw from talks with Israel if the moratorium is not extended.
It seems likely that a frantic search for a compromise is still going on behind the scenes, she adds.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held talks with Mr Abbas in New York on Friday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Mr Abbas said they would meet again on Saturday, but it is not clear when, or if, those talks will take place.
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