RAMALLAH (AA) - Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah said the establishment of the Palestinian state is not possible without the inclusion of the Gaza Strip.
Speaking to the European Parliament (EP) delegation led by Emer Costello in Ramallah, Hamdallah stressed the importance of ending the division between the Palestinian Fatah and Hamas movements by saying, “The establishment of an independent Palestinian state is not possible if Gaza is not located within it.”
“Economic development cannot be realized before political demands are met for the foundation of a Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital,” he said, emphasizing that general and presidential elections were the only way to eliminate division.
Noting that Israel places restrictions on the development of the Palestinian economy, Hamdallah indicated Israel's ban on investments, including those in the tourism sector, in Area C, which constitutes 62 percent of the West Bank and is entirely controlled by Israel.
He underlined the importance of international initiatives which would pressure Israel to release Palestinian prisoners.
Hamdallah also demanded that “international efforts for ending Israeli policies on building illegal Jewish settlements be increased.”
A transitional agreement between Israel and Palestine in 1995 divided the West Bank into Areas A, B and C. While Area A was placed under Palestinian governance and Area B under joint governance, area C was placed under Israeli control.
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