Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday hardened the conditions he wants met to even begin peace talks with Israel.
Abbas said ahead of a meeting with PLO leaders in Ramallah that before negotiations can resume, Israel must stop building homes for Jews in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem, and officially recognize the pre-1967 borders as the borders of a new Palestinian state, essentially leaving nothing to negotiate about.
The Palestinian leader again rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's partial 10-month settlement freeze as inadequate, even though the international community hailed it as a significant gesture to get the peace process back on track.
Netanyahu has warned in recent days that if the Palestinians do not respond positively to his gesture soon, he may retract the decision and again allow Jews to build new homes in areas claimed by the Palestinians.