RAMALLAH, January 14, 2012 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas said on Friday that despite obstacles, “good progress” has been made in achieving national reconciliation.

Speaking to delegations of Palestinian refugees from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, Abbas stressed that the Palestinian Authority and Hamas are determined to implement the terms of the reconciliation agreement, despite objections by various parties.

He said that negotiations and reconciliation go parallel to each other and one does not negate the other, stressing that there is still no common ground to justify resumption of direct negotiations with Israel.

Abbas on Thursday has stressed that if no progress was made in the bilateral Palestinian-Israeli talks taking place in Amman, Jordan under quartet and Jordanian auspices for the last month, the Palestinian leadership will resume plans to ask for full membership at the United Nations.

He told his Fatah party advisors council that the PA will also consider filing a complaint against Israel at the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention in order to get justice denied since the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza had started more than 40 years ago.

Abbas reiterated the Palestinian position that negotiations will not resume until Israel agrees on clear basis for negotiations, halts settlement activities, openly accepts the principle of the two-state solution, and releases Palestinian prisoners in accordance with a prior agreement between the PA and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

R.Q./M.S.