The figures could complicate Palestinian Prime Minister
Mahmoud Abbas's talks on Friday in Washington, where he will
urge President Bush (news - web sites) to increase pressure on Israel to implement
peace moves and release Palestinian prisoners.
Palestinian Information Minister Nabil Amr said the
continued growth of Israeli settlements undermined peace
efforts and added: "It means there is no hope for the birth of
the Palestinian state."
The Palestinians began an uprising in September 2000 for an
independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (news - web sites), territories
which were occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.
Under a "road map" to peace which Bush will try to push
forward at Friday's talks with Abbas and then at talks with
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) on Tuesday, a Palestinian
state is to be established alongside Israel in 2005.
Israel is required under the plan to abandon unauthorized
settler outposts -- mainly small clusters of homes or caravans
on West Bank hilltops -- and stop construction work at the more
established settlements.
According to Israel's Interior Ministry, some 5,000 people
moved to the settlements in the second half of 2001 and in the
first half of 2002, and about 7,200 in the second half of 2002.
It said 5,415 Israelis had moved to settlements since
January this year and that 231,443 people were now living in
the settlements, which the international community regards as
illegal under international law. Israel disputes this.
Sharon says he will uproot the unauthorized outposts and
has indicated he will also consider dismantling established
settlements. The Palestinians are wary of his pledges because
he was long a vocal proponent of settlements and has dismantled
few outposts.
ABBAS UNDER PRESSURE TO GET PRISONERS FREED
Abbas is expected to urge Bush to increase pressure on
Israel to release thousands of Palestinian prisoners.
Sharon has promised to free several hundred but has set no
date for the release. A ministerial committee on Wednesday
delayed a decision on whether to free militants from groups
involved in suicide attacks that have killed scores of
Israelis.
The prisoner issue is vital to the standing of Abbas among
Palestinians and to the U.S.-backed Middle East peace plan.
An estimated 6,000 Palestinians are in Israeli jails, and
militants have made their release a prime condition of a
three-month cease-fire they declared on June 29.
Amr said on Wednesday lawmakers were pressing for a
confidence vote in his cabinet if he returns empty-handed.
Militant groups have cranked up the pressure on Abbas to
win prisoner releases with nearly daily protests in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip in recent days.
About 4,000 supporters of the Islamic militant group Hamas
protested at a soccer stadium in northern Gaza on Thursday,
marking one year since Israel assassinated Hamas military
leader Saleh Shehadeh in an air strike.
Hamas leaders said the protest was also a message that
Hamas expects Abbas to secure prisoner releases.
