Israel refuses to create suitable conditions for a ceasefire in order to continue building settlements in the West Bank and increase military pressure on the people of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement said on Sunday.
"Israel always seeks to bring the Palestinians into the circle of violence to carry out its plans on the ground," Fatah spokesman Fehmi al-Za'arier said.
In late February, Israel launched a deadly five-day military operation in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, killing more than 125 Palestinians.
As a result, Abbas suspended peace talks with Israel and intensified efforts to grant a ceasefire before going back to the negotiations.
For Fatah, a comprehensive and mutual ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank will "move the ball into Israel's court," said al-Za'arier.
"The calmness is the only way to test Israel's seriousness in the peace process through the results that the negotiations will achieve on the ground," he added.
On Saturday, Abbas urged the peace talks to continue under pressure from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who visited Israel, the Palestinian territories and Egypt last week.
Palestinian and Israeli peace negotiators will meet on Thursday with a U.S. envoy assigned to follow up both sides' commitments to the U.S.-backed Roadmap peace plan, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said earlier Sunday.
Source:Xinhua
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