Palestinian president warns Israel not to undermine two-state solution

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has warned Israel not to undermine the vision of the two-state solution, which is backed by the international community.
“Undermining the two-state solution would motivate the central council of Palestine Liberation Organisation to take decisive decisions,” Abbas said in a televised speech on Monday.
According to Israeli media, the warning came just days after Israel approved the construction of 372 settlement units in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Palestinians “won’t accept the continuation of the (Israeli) occupation of the land and the Palestinian people forever,” he added.
“The Palestinian side is still extending its hands to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in accordance with the two-state solution and the international resolution under the auspices of the international Quartet,” Abbas said.
“Persistent violations of the rights of Palestinians along with the expansion of settlements risk eroding the prospect of a two-state solution,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday, while addressing a meeting marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Direct peace talks between Israel and Palestine came to a halt in late March 2014, following deep differences on issues related to Jewish settlements and the recognition of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.