Palestinian leadership demands Israel to suspend settlements activities

The Palestinian leadership has called Israel to halt all settlement activities in occupied lands, Palestinian radio reported on Saturday.

The Palestinian government made the call in a statement issued at the conclusion of its weekly meeting held in Ramallah, west bank.

The Palestinian cabinet expressed surprise over the Israeli decision to close several areas of Palestinian land for military purposes.

The radio said the leadership called on the United States, Russia and the European Union, and other countries involved in the peace process in the Middle East, to activate "international sponsorship" of the peace negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian sides.

The cabinet emphasized urged the United Nations to shoulder the Palestinian people's national rights.

"Any success in final status negotiations depends on Tel Aviv's adherence to the UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 425 which stipulate full Israeli withdrawal from occupied Palestinian and Arab lands," the statement said.

On multilateral talks, the Palestinian leadership said the basis for the success of such negotiations lies in the progress on the Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese tracks and the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and independent state, with Jerusalem as its capital and the return of refugees.