BEIJING, Mar. 28 -- Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, has criticized Israeli settlement policies and US support for such policies. Speaking on Sunday he said it was unacceptable to support Israeli annexation of West Bank settlement blocs under a final peace settlement.

    "Any talk of settlements that is not a discussion about stopping the settlements is unacceptable. Here I'm talking about the discussions of annexing settlement blocs. This is unacceptable because this affects final status issues."

    Israel last week announced the expansion of Maaleh Adumim, a large settlement outside of Jerusalem in which 30-thousand Israelis live.

    The project would separate Arab neighbourhoods in eastern Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank.

    The Palestinians claim all of the West Bank as part of a future state, with east Jerusalem as the capital, while Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its capital.

    The so-called "road map" peace plan calls for a freeze on all Israeli settlement construction, including expansion of existing areas.

    But Israeli officials say there are "understandings" with Washington permitting construction in large existing settlements.

    (Source: CRIENGLISH.com)