Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has allegedly said that peace negotiations with Israel will not extend past the April deadline unless more Palestinian prisoners are released and settlement construction is suspended, according to Agence France Presse Tuesday.
"We cannot continue negotiations with ongoing settlement construction," said Abbas during a meeting in Ramallah with leftwing Israeli Politician Zehava Galon who is the head of the Meretz Party.
Israeli and Palestinian sources both confirmed the Palestinian leader's comment, with Galon's office further citing Abbas as demanding the release of "further prisoners beyond the next tranche, including women, youths and administrative detainees" and saying that "if the American framework agreement will not sufficiently address the fundamental principles of the core issues, we won't enable extending the negotiations."
Housing Minister Uri Ariel, however, told the media this week that he is not "concerned" by the idea of a settlement freeze, saying that Israel's prime minister has already "announced that there wouldn't be one."
The US-brokered peace talks began in July 2013 and are set to end by late April as part of an agreed-upon nine-month deadline. However, the talks have largely stalled with each side accusing the other of not being committed to finding peace.
Abbas and Golan's meeting coincides with US President Barack Obama's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington.
