Erekat: `“Israel still insist to maintain security control over Jenin`

Dr. Saeb Erekat, head of the Negotiations Department at the Palestinian Authority, said that Israel still insists to maintain its security control over the West Bank city of Jenin.

Erekat stated that the P.A is holding talks with the Quartet, the US administration and the United Nations, in order to have Jenin area under full Palestinian security control.

“Israel is talking about keeping its security control over Jenin”, Erekat said, “This means that Israel practically is not disengaging from the north of the West Bank”.

Also, Erekat added that the P.A conducted continuous coordination with Israel is order to achieve a peaceful withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and four settlements in the Wets Bank. 

“The P.A is expected to fully control the Gaza Strip at the beginning of October “, Erekat said, “We hope that this step will lead to further steps towards a just peace in the region”.

Erekat also said that the P.A is holding talks with Israel in order to avoid turning the Gaza Strip into a big prison, closed and surrounded by military checkpoints and crossings.

“Disengagement does not mean, in anyway, independence, it does not end the occupation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank”, Erekat added, “The West Bank and the Gaza Strip do not have geographical unity, and as long as Jerusalem is still occupied, Israel will remain a country which occupies another nation”.   

Erekat stated that the Israeli decision to move the Netzarim settlers from the Gaza Strip to Ariel settlement in the West Bank is considered a very dangerous step which harms the future peaceful solution.