Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    RAMALLAH, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement on Wednesday said any peace agreement with Israel must settle all core issues.

    "The Palestinian leadership refuses to postpone or delay any issue related to the final solution," said the spokesman Ahmed Abdel Rahman, adding that "the political agreement must cover all the issues put for negotiations, mainly the issues of Jerusalem and the refugees."

    Abdel Rahman said the PNA will not sign any deal that does not guarantee East Jerusalem as the capital for future Palestinian statehood. "We will not give up East Jerusalem."

    Last November, Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) resumed negotiations on a Palestinian statehood alongside Israel under the U.S. mediation. But no visible progress has been achieved until now.

    Israel kept building and expanding settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank despite the negotiations, making it nearly impossible to achieve any breakthrough.

    According to Abdel Rahman, the Palestinians will unilaterally declare their statehood if Israel "goes on its policies that contradict with the peace process."

    He also ruled out reaching an agreement this year "because the current Israeli government headed by Ehud Olmert is not ready for this."