PLO official says U.S. Golan move paves way for "annexation of West Bank"

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RAMALLAH, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Wednesday said that the Palestinian leadership is seeking an international multilateral support in response to the U.S. recognition of the occupied Golan Heights.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump "have their strategy -- a Palestinian Authority (PA) without authority," said Saeb Erekat, warning that such a move paves the way for the "annexation of the West Bank."

He said "with Jerusalem being Israel's capital, Golan under their sovereignty, then the third step will be the West Bank under Israel's sovereignty and declare the recognition of the state of Gaza."

Erekat's statements came after he held a meeting with diplomats of several European countries in the city of Ramallah to urge them to support the Palestinian cause and reject the U.S. decision.

The official also warned that annexing the West Bank means destroying and terminating the PA.

In response to the U.S. move, he said the Palestinian leadership is "working toward a comprehensive package that will be sponsored, not by the Palestinians and the Arabs, but by the international community."

On Monday, Trump officially recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which was seized from Syria in 1967, in a move hailed as "historic" by Netanyahu.

Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981, which is not recognized internationally.

Palestinians declared they have boycotted the U.S. administration since it recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moved its embassy Israel to Jerusalem.

Erekat also said that "calm in the Gaza Strip is a high Palestinian interest."

"Saving the lives of our people in the Gaza Strip is necessary because their lives are so precious," said Erekat, calling on Gaza factions to cooperate with the Egyptian efforts to succeed the calm understanding.

Egypt and the United Nations have been mediating a clam understanding between Israel and the Palestinian factions and their armed wings, to end a wave of tensions that have been prevailing in the last days.

After a rocket that was fired from the Gaza Strip and hit central Israel, where several buildings were destroyed in northern Tel Aviv and seven Israelis were wounded, the Israeli army and Gaza militants have been trading fire.

Israeli warplanes carried out more than 50 intensive airstrikes on military facilities, compounds and posts all over the Gaza Strip and destroyed offices of Hamas as well as security headquarters in the enclave.

In response, Gaza militants fired barrages of rockets into southern Israel. Enditem

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