Palestinian Foreign Ministry warns of Israeli scheme to change peace references

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry warned on Wednesday of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu' scheme to change terms of reference of the peace process from "land for peace" to "calm for facilities".

The ministry strongly condemned Netanyahu's statements during his meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday in which he stressed that Israeli will never freeze settlement construction.

Netanyahu even asked the US administration to recognize settlements in return for a package of facilities in the West Bank, the Palestinian ministry said.

The ministry warned that this is another attempt to legalize settlements and undermine existing terms of reference of the peace process in a way that suits the Israeli government's policies.

The ministry also warned the international community against Israeli attempts to impose new rules and turn the political conflict into a religious one.

The ministry stressed once again that all settlements built on the Palestinian lands are illegal under UN resolutions that considered them a flagrant violation of international law principles.

Sources: MENA