Israeli foreign minister, Tsibi Livni, asserted on Sunday that there is a need to reach an overall agreement with the Palestinians , including all issues of peace talks between the two sides.
Israeli media sources quoted Livni as saying that reaching a ‘vague’ deal with the Palestinians will constitute a ‘fatal’ mistake, pointing out that peace can not be divided and that any peace agreement should not be one more chapter of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict but should rather end such a conflict once and for all.
Livni’s remarks came as the Israeli housing ministry announced new plans for settlements construction on occupied Palestinian lands, a move the Palestinian Authority considers ‘preempting’ the final status talks with Israel.
In a related note, Israeli ‘Labor’ minister, Itzhaq Hertsug, urged the Israeli government to exert every possible effort to conclude a truce deal with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Since last November, Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations have made no concrete progress, as the ruling Hamas party in Gaza has recently offered an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire, to which Israel is yet respond.
Meanwhile, Israeli minister, Zeiaf Boim, criticized today the Israeli prime minister’s decision to suspend a cabinet session on potential truce deal with the Palestinians in Gaza, including the ruling Hamas party and several other resistance factions.