Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas has said he will not hold any talks with Israel until it halts all settlement activity, which he says endangers the viability of a future Palestinian state.
The international community considers all settlements built on land occupied in the 1967 Six Day war to be illegal and last week the G8 and the Middle East Quartet — the US, the UN, the EU and Russia — called for a complete settlement freeze.
Also yesterday, Barak denied reports a deal was close with Hamas for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
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