Mahmoud Abbas: No Peace Talks Until Israel Freezes Settlement Construction

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that peace talks with Israel will not resume until Israel completely freezes construction in the settlements.

"Fatah totally rejects any attempt to establish a temporary Palestinian state," added Abbas during a Ramallah press conference, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Abbas said the Fatah movement would reject offers that call for a Palestinian state with temporary borders, while settling Palestinian refugees in Jordan, The People's Daily reported.

Abbas also rejected claims of fraud in this week's election for the Fatah Central Committee, according to Reuters.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday rejected a complaint by former prime minister Ahmed Qurie that he had lost his seat on the executive of Fatah in an "unsound" party election.

Qurie, who was a peace negotiator with Israel for years, leveled the charge a day after Fatah announced final results of voting for its Central Committee members at the first congress in 20 years of the dominant Palestinian movement.

Abbas also reiterated that there was no worry about a Fatah split, the Khaleej Times added.

Abbas said Thursday he was not worried about a split in Fatah after some of the senior and historic leaders of the movement, such as Qureia, failed to make the central committee, the party's highest decision-making body.

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