Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday blamed Israeli policies for the West Bank demonstrations, saying the Palestinians are interested in a peaceful solution. "We do not need tension and escalation," Abbas said at the opening of a meeting for Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
"The Israelis must stop their measures so the things calm down. We want a peaceful solution based on the international legitimacy and we want the occupation of the Palestinian state's land to end, " Abbas went on.
Protests in the West Bank intensified since the death of a Palestinian prisoner during interrogation in an Israeli jail Saturday. Over the past weeks, demonstrations have been held on daily basis against the expansion of Jewish settlements and in solidarity with four prisoners who have been on hunger strike for months.