Israel's unilateral actions undermine chances for peace, two-state solution: Palestinian official

RAMALLAH, June 12 (Xinhua) -- A senior Palestine official said on Sunday that the unilateral Israeli actions in the Palestinian territories undermine the chances for peace and the two-state solution.

Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), made the remarks during a meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah with visiting U.S. senior diplomats ahead of an expected visit of U.S. President Joe Biden, according to an official statement carried by Palestinian state news agency WAFA.

Attending the meetings were Al-Sheikh and other senior Palestinian officials and the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr.

Al-Sheikh told the U.S. officials that Palestinians "need security and stability, ending the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian territories and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 border."

He explained to the officials that it is necessary to abide by the peace agreements signed between the PLO and Israel and implement the UN resolutions "which have never been implemented."

The meeting discussed the escalated tension in the West Bank amid the daily Israeli army raids on Palestinian towns and villages and the visits of Israeli radicals to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, according to the statement.

The two sides also discussed the expected visit of Biden to Israel and Palestine, the removal of the PLO from its terrorism list, and the reopening of the U.S. consulate in East Jerusalem.

Among the talking points were also the economic situation and the necessity of resuming U.S. aid to the Palestinians, especially in the light of the Palestinian financial crisis as Israel withholds its tax revenues.