Ramallah - The Palestinian Authority quickly rejected Wednesday an Israeli decision to partially freeze settlement construction, insisting that the freeze should be comprehensive. Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu announced a freeze on new construction in the West Bank settlements for 10 months but said the construction of 3,000 new housing units in these settlements will continue unabated, as would construction in occupied East Jerusalem.
The offical Wafa news agency cited Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said in a statement from Santiago, Chile, where Abbas is on an official visit, as saying that "resuming negotiations should be based on total halt to settlement construction in the West Bank, including Jerusalem."
He said "Jerusalem is red line for the Palestinians and Arabs and we cannot accept any situation that precludes Jerusalem."
