GAZA, November 11 (RIA Novosti) - Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his demand on Wednesday for Israel to stop building settlements in the West Bank before the two conflicting sides can resume peace talks.
Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank has been a major obstacle to reviving peace talks with the Palestinians. Abbas recently said he would not run in Palestinian presidential elections in January, citing a lack of progress in peace talks and criticizing Washington for failing to press Israel on halting Israeli settlement construction.
"We want a full stop to [building] settlements, including for natural growth, in Jerusalem as well," Abbas said in an address on the fifth anniversary of the death of his predecessor Yasser Arafat.
The Palestinian leader criticized Israel for hampering the internationally backed "two-state solution" for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians with no preconditions.
Abbas declined to reiterate his announcement made last week that he would not run in the election slated for January 24, 2010, and hinted "there will be other decisions."
Meanwhile, Abdel Aziz Duaik, the Palestinian parliament speaker and one of the leaders of the Hamas movement, told the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi paper on Wednesday that he could take Abbas' post if the latter resigns.
"I am ready to take the president's post and hold elections within 60 days," Duaik said.
