BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that the Palestinians will participate in peace talks with Israel for the planned nine months.

Abbas made the announcement on Monday at a news conference with French President Francois Hollande. Abbas also confirmed that his chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, submitted his resignation at one point, but said he hasn’t accepted it so far. He reiterated his opposition to Israel’s settlement building, but said that the Palestinians will continue the negotiations for nine months.

Hollande said France opposes Israeli settlements. He called for the halting of the settlements, saying they complicate negotiations and make the two-state solution difficult.

Israeli-Palestinian negotiations resumed in late July, with US mediators saying they envision a deal within nine months. Since then, Israel has announced plans for the building of thousands more settlement apartments, sparking Palestinian outrage.

(Source: cntv.cn)

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RAMALLAH, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian investigation committee on Friday said that former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's death was "unnatural," accusing Israel of being behind the "assassination."

"We say that Israel is the first, basic and sole suspect accused in the assassination of Arafat," Tawfiq al-Tirawi, head of the committee, told a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

RAMALLAH, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian investigation committee on Friday accused Israel of being behind the " assassination" of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Calling Arafat's death "unnatural," Tawfiq al-Tirawi, head of the committee, told a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah that "We say that Israel is the first, basic and sole suspect accused in the assassination of Arafat."