国际英语新闻：PNA cabinet calls on Israel to halt settlement

RAMALLAH, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) cabinet on Monday called on the Israeli government to halt its settlement activities.

The PNA cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, said in a statement after its weekly meeting that the peace talks must lead to ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the territories occupied by Israel in 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The cabinet welcomed U.S. President Barack Obama's speech at the UN General Assembly, in which he called for establishing a Palestinian state and Israel to halt its settlement activities.

The PNA cabinet has also warned of giving the Jewish settlers " a free hand" by starting a new phase of settlement constructions and establishing new settlement spots allover the West Bank and Jerusalem.

The Israeli government so far hasn't declared whether it would extend the 10-month moratorium of settlement building in the Palestinian territories that ended on Sept. 26, or it would resume construction in the settlements.