’Israel’ Suspends Talks with PA over Unity Pact with Hamas

Local Editor

"Israel's" security cabinet decided on Thursday to suspend the so-called ‘peace talks' with the Palestinians in response to a unity deal between Palestinian Authority [PA] chief Mahmoud Abbas and the Hamas group, "Israeli" media reported.

Asked about the reports, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment.

The reports, following a six-hour meeting of the security forum, also said that the Zionist entity would impose economic sanctions on the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the "Israeli"-occupied West Bank.

The PA said it was considering "all options" in response to "Israel's" decision, an official said.
"The Palestinian leadership will look into all options to respond to "Israeli" government decisions against the PA," senior Palestinian official Saeb Erakat said.
He further added: "The priority now for the Palestinians is reconciliation and national unity."

Hamas announced the unity pact with Abbas's Palestine Liberation Organization on Wednesday. The deal envisions a unity government within five weeks and national elections six months later.

In its initial response to the Hamas-PLO pact, "Israel" cancelled a meeting on Wednesday with Palestinian negotiators that was to have sought ways to extend the US-sponsored talks beyond an original April 29 deadline for a deal.

After the unity agreement, which followed years of unsuccessful reconciliation attempts, "Israeli" leaders said Abbas could not be "Israel's" 'peace' partner if he forged a partnership with Hamas.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team