Major General of the Palestinian Intelligence Service, Majed Faraj, along with the head of the Palestinian negotiation team, Saeb Erekat, traveled to the United States to meet Secretary of State John Kerry.According to the Palestinian News Network (PNN), security sources reported that they are going to ask Kerry to set the borders of the Palestinian state within an exact period. The sources additionally stated that, should Israeli authorities reject the Palestinian request, they will apply to join other international institutions.
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Egyptian diplomatic sources told the London-based ‘Middle East’ newspaper that authorities are still working with both Palestinians and Israelis to set a date for continuing negotiations of the recent ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which is receiving international support.
In a related news, and in response to Israel’s announcement to seize around 4,000 dunams (1,000 acres) of land near Bethlehem and Hebron, member of Fatah’s Central Committee Jamal Mhasen told the PNN that he has been called upon to set Palestinian state borders, in order to prevent settlement projects from further expanding, and to end the Israeli occupation by using its veto.
He stated that Palestinian authorities are going to approach international institutions, next month, to call for the setting of borders between Palestine and Israel, adding that he hopes the international community, which continues to criticize Israeli settlement projects in the West Bank, supports the Palestinian request to the UN Security Council and, whereby, other suggestions will not be accepted.
He also confirmed that any Palestinian-Israeli negotiations in Ramallah, Gaza or even in Israel are to be run by Egyptian authorities.