Palestinian official denies Abbas resignation rumors

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Mohammad Shtayyeh, president of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction, said that the Palestinians' current political strategy is focused on making Israel pay a price for the occupation of Palestinian lands, while at the same time finding ways to disengage from it economically and at the security level. In response to the Israeli government's refusal to consider a political horizon, he said, “We will work with various international institutions, such as the United Nations Security Council, as well as world parliaments with the aim of reaching a time-based, end of occupation agreement.”

Shtayyeh, who had been a member of the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid peace talks in October 1991, said that special efforts are being made in Europe to lead Israel to change course politically. He stated, “We are asking European countries to ask dual national settlers to leave the occupied territories, since they are living on stolen, occupied land.”