PLO urges stricter U.S. approach on Israel to stop settlements

RAMALLAH, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) on Saturday called on the United States to take a firm position against continued Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank.

The U.S. administration "must take a serious stance towards Israel and to stop the divided positions regarding the settlements," said Yasser Abed Rabbo, the PLO's executive committee secretary-general.

In a press conference held in Ramallah, Abed Rabbo revealed that Israel was building hundreds of housing units and thousands of other facilities which Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barack has lately approved.

"We are facing unprecedented settlement campaign," said Abed Rabbo, considering the settlement activities as "war crimes against humanity and international law."

President Barack Obama's administration has failed to restart peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians who stressed they can't go to negotiations while Israel annexing their land by building and expanding settlements.

The Palestinians seek a statehood in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The talks have been stalled since Israel launched a military operation in December and January in Gaza.

Hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who took office in April, refuses to clearly endorse the Palestinian statehood or stop the Jewish settlement on the land that would be part of that statehood.