RAMALLAH, Monday, March 25, 2019 (WAFA) - The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee confirmed that President Mahmoud Abbas and his leadership are following with deep concern the successive developments in the Gaza Strip, especially escalations that took place in the past few hours.

The Executive Committee said in a press statement that Netanyahu’s government is seeking to use these developments in the Israeli elections early next month as well as for the benefit of Netanyahu personally, as well as his allies in the far right, by tightening the maritime and land blockade on the Gaza Strip; as was done today  after Israel claimed the launch of two rockets from Gaza toward a settlement near Tel Aviv, and its retaliatory shelling of sites in Gaza, in addition to Netanyahu’s cutting short of his visit to the United States.

The recent developments confirm that Netanyahu is planning to escalate the siege and aggression on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and create a tense atmosphere in the region in an attempt to force the ‘deal of the century‘ on the Palestinian people and the Arab nation, said the statement, which is being implemented on the ground by the Trump administration in coordination with the Netanyahu government.

The Executive Committee reaffirmed its firm commitment to the Palestinian people right to end the 1967 Israeli occupation of its territories, and its commitment to realize the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and to guarantee the right of return for refugees in accordance with the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194

T.R.