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"Final nail in the coffin"


The talk of "settlements" in Israel and the West Bank conjures up a picture of an outpost of a few houses, perhaps even shacks, and an odd collection of caravans in the like.

Well, the above is a so-called "settlement" - Gilo, now the centre of controversy as Israel announces that a further 900 homes will be built in Gilo.

The Israeli PM snubs his nose at the world and says the plans will proceed. Well they might - who is going to stop Israel? - but the peace process now seems dead and buried, as Press TV reports:

"Former Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qureia calls Israel's plan to build more housing units in Gilo the “final nail in the peace process' coffin”.

"This proves that the international community must realize that our statements regarding the collapse of the two-state solution are not slogans," Qureia urged.

On Tuesday, Israel announced plans to construct 900 homes in Gilo, one of a dozen settlements in the illegally annexed East Jerusalem (Al-Quds) in the occupied West Bank.

Qureia, a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, warned the failed peace process would bring about "an eternal conflict that will lead the region and the entire world towards instability."

The Israeli move came under fire from the international community for complicating the already stalled Middle East peace negotiations and putting a kibosh on international peace efforts.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the controversial decision clearly illustrated "why hopes for salvaging two-state solution and restarting genuine negotiations are rapidly fading, and why Israel is not a partner for peace."

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