Palestinian premier Ahmed Qurei warned Saturday that regarding the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank as the last step could plunge the whole region into bloody violence for years ahead.

Qurei made the remarks after a meeting with a European delegation of officials and former ministers in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

He expressed astonishment at the earlier statement of US President George W. Bush that what is needed in the Gaza Strip after the withdrawal is to form a Palestinian cabinet to rule the area.

The statement, he said, totally contradicts with the US position and the vision of two states, one Israeli and the other Palestinian, stressing the Gaza Strip is part of occupied territories and can never be the state of Palestine.

He added that peace can never be achieved without the establishment of the independent Palestinian state.

He said any demand to postpone the implementation of the roadmap plan or any delay in resuming the talks on the final status issues is tantamount to support for the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Source: Xinhua