RAMALLAH, April 24, 2012 (WAFA) – Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh Tuesday warned that Israeli government plans to legalize settlement outposts will be understood as the response to President Mahmoud Abbas’ letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He said in a statement that the Israeli government “should immediately stop unilateral acts,” in clear reference to reports that the government is considering options to legalize three outposts built without its approval in the West Bank.

Palestinians and the international community consider all Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, whether approved by the government or not, as illegal under international law because they were built on occupied territory.

Describing the Israeli decision as negative, Abu Rudeineh said that “if it is going to be like this, then it will be understood as the expected answer to the President’s letter.”

He said that Netanyahu “is once again taking the situation to a dead end.”

The Palestinian leadership is still waiting for the official response “and we will leave our options open if this will be the Israeli response to the Palestinian letter,” he said.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat handed Abbas’ letter to Netanyahu last Tuesday, who said that he will respond to it in two weeks.

Meanwhile, a report in the Israeli daily Haaretz published Tuesday said Israeli officials have instructed the army commander of the West Bank, Nitzan Alon, to allow the construction of temporary structures on land near Ramallah to house settlers who will be evacuated from the nearby controversial Migron settlement outpost, built on private Palestinian land.

The Israeli Supreme Court had issued an order to vacate Migron by July 31. The new structures will be placed near the Migron site.

The paper said the Israeli political leadership had caved in to the settlers who refuse to leave the outpost.

The government has been working to set up a temporary site for the settlers until permanent homes can be built for them not far from the current site.

The paper said government officials want the army commander to allow the construction of the temporary structures as a way to bypass government building codes and procedures.

R.Q./M.S.