Israeli Settlement Freeze Ends
Reuters reports:
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel allowed its halt in construction in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank to expire Monday, defying a U.S. call to extend the moratorium and risking a Palestinian withdrawal from peace talks.
Minutes after the moratorium expired, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to continue "expedited, honest talks" to achieve a peace agreement within a year.
"Israel is ready to pursue continuous contacts in the coming days to find a way to continue peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority," he said in a statement.
The Israeli leader has resisted calls from President Barack Obama to extend the construction freeze but the United States said Sunday it was trying to ensure both sides continued to negotiate despite Israel's decision.
"Our policy on settlement construction has not changed. We remain in close touch with both parties and will be meeting with them again in the coming days," U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said in a statement.
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