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by IANS |
Ramallah, March 29 (IANS) Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye has said that the Palestinian Authority is following with concerns Israel's latest moves in the region.
Ishtaye made the remarks as Israel is hosting a conference with the foreign ministers from the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Egypt, as well as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the Negev desert region in southern Israel, Xinhua news agency reported.
"The Palestinian Authority follows with concerns the moves and actions Israel is taking in the region. It ignores the issues of a people: half of them are under the Israeli occupation and the other half live in refugee camps and the Diaspora," Ishtaye said.
Israel's attempts to disregard the rights of the Palestinian people, expand settlements, erect checkpoints, and kill, arrest and destroy opportunities for peace have made the Palestinians more determined to confront it, he noted.
Speaking of the Arab normalization with Israel, the Palestinian prime minister said such normalization "without ending the Israel occupation is an illusion, a mirage and a free reward for Israel."
"The Palestinian people can thwart all plans aimed at undermining their right to independence, sovereignty, and freedom," he added.
The two-day conference starting on Sunday marks the first time Israel has hosted a meeting with Arab foreign ministers.
The Israeli public radio reported that the six officials would discuss the formation of a regional defense alliance to deal with Iranian drone attacks and other threats.
