Israeli-Palestinian Talks to be Resumed Soon: PNA OfficialMinister of State with the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Hassan Asfour hinted on Wednesday that the final-status talks between Israel and the Palestinians will be resumed soon.Asfour, who had also taken part in the back-channel talks in Stockholm, told reporters that the Palestinian side is against any division or postponement of the talks. Israel and the Palestinians have been holding back-door talks in the Swedish capital in a bid to forge a framework for a final peace deal after decades of conflict. The existence of the parallel channel was revealed on May 14, the day just after the two sides missed the second deadline for the framework deal. The final-status talks, halted by Israel after recent shoot-outs between the Palestinian police and Israeli soldiers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, deal with the most thorniest issues, including the status of Jerusalem, borders, water sharing, the fate of the Palestinian refugees and Jewish settlements. Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip declared on May 19 and 20 as "Days of Rage," during which they staged large-scale protests to press Israel to release the 1,650 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails on security charges. The Palestinian prisoners have been on a hunger strike since early May in protest against inhumane treatment inside the Israeli jails. The protests turned into violent clashes between the Palestinians and the Israeli army, killing nine Palestinians and injuring more than 1,000 others. |
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