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Palestinians protest Washington talks

Palestinians in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have staged a sit-in to protest the resumption of direct talks between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel.

On August 20, the PA agreed to US calls to sit at the negotiating table with Israel at the summit on September 2 in Washington, despite vehement opposition from several Palestinian factions.

The Palestinians in Ramallah and Gaza have been staging protests against the decision, arguing that the United States has never been a true mediator for peace while they seriously question Israel’s commitment to peace.

“What is happening is total submission to US pressure. This is not what was agreed upon by Palestinians and their leaders,” Jameel al-Majdalawi, a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, told Press TV.

“Israel must hold settlement expansions before we can go to start negotiations,” he urged.

Walid al-Walad from the Palestinian People’s Party demanded an immediate stop to direct negotiations.

“Israel will exploit these talks, buy time and build more settlements, and make it impossible to have a Palestinian state,” he warned

“We are here to say that we do not accept to go to direct talks with Israel with no real stop of the settlement activities in the West Bank, with no end to the siege on the Gaza Strip,” said Amjad al-Shawwa of the Palestinian NGO Network.

The PA withdrew from direct talks with Israel some 20 months ago in the wake of Tel Aviv’s devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip, which killed more than 1,400 Palestinians — mostly civilians.

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