Abbas says Palestinians will keep their struggle against Israel

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Wednesday that the Palestinians will keep their struggle against the Israeli policies in Jerusalem and the entire Palestinian territories.

In a recorded televised speech aired on the official Palestine satellite channel, Abbas accused Israel of escalating violent actions and field execution against defenseless Palestinians.

"The Israeli escalation aims at igniting the flames of religious conflict not only in the region, but also in the entire world," Abbas said, adding that "we won't let any of the Israeli schemes in relation to Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque pass."

Since early October, 30 Palestinians were killed in the Palestinian territories and over than 1,000 wounded in a fierce wave of tension that broke out in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

"We won't attack anyone and we never accept any attack on us. We informed the world that we won't accept a continuation of the current situation and we won't surrender to the policy of occupation and aggression," said Abbas.

He went on saying that the Israeli government's policies and the assaults of the settlers on the Palestinian people "are threatening the peace process and tranquility in the region."

President Abbas referred to the killing of a 13-year-old boy, saying "all the cases of the field executions, the new Israeli weapons used by Israel against children and youths of Jerusalem to the International Criminal Court (ICC)."

"Amid all these Israeli violations, which have been going on for two weeks and were practiced in the West Bank, in Jerusalem and in Gaza, the freedom of the Palestinian people will come very soon," said Abbas.

Abbas stressed that the Palestinian people "have the right of self-defense through out the peaceful resistance as well as the legal and political struggle," adding that "we won't remain hostages to the deals that Israel doesn't respect."

He stressed that peace, clam and security can't be achieved without ending the Israeli occupation and establishing the Palestinian state on 1967 border.

Meanwhile, Saeb Erekat, Secretary General of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, on Wednesday called on the International Quartet to carry out tangible measures to stop Israeli violations.

Erekat said in a series of letters to the Quartet representatives, including the US, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations that the Quartet has to work hardly on stopping these violations against the Palestinians.

"The occupation's forces violations of the international law, the international human law and human rights must stop and the Palestinian people have to be protected before the situation gets uncontrolled," said Erekat.

Over the past couple of weeks, a wave of tension and confrontations between Israel and the Palestinians have been flaring, leaving 30 Palestinians and seven Israelis dead and more than 1,000 wounded.

Meanwhile, Erekat expressed the deep regret of the Palestinian leadership for responding to Istrael's request and annulling a visit of the International Quartet representatives visit to the region, which was scheduled for Wednesday.
  Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
15/10/15
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• Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday he favours "peaceful, popular resistance" against Israeli occupation, amid a two-week wave of violence that has killed more than 30 people on both sides.

In a speech broadcast on official Palestinian television, his first since the outbreak of the violence, Abbas spoke of the Palestinian people's "right to defend ourselves" and "pursue our national struggle".

AFP

14/10/15