Palestine UN bid Live Blog

The European Union's chief diplomat on Tuesday lamented Israel's green-light to expand the Gilo settlement and urged the government to reverse its decision.

"It is with deep regret that I learned today about the decision to advance in the plans for settlement expansion in east Jerusalem, with new housing units in Gilo," said Catherine Ashton, EU foreign policy chief.

"This plan should be reversed. Settlement activity threatens the viability of an agreed two-state solution and runs contrary to the Israeli-stated commitment to resume negotiations," Ashton told the European parliament.

She recalled that the Quartet of Middle East peacemakers - the EU, Russia, the UN and the US - have pleaded with Israelis and Palestinians to "refrain from provocative actions" if talks are to resume.

Richard Miron, spokesman for UN Mideast envoy Robert Serry, said the Israeli decision was "very concerning'' and ignored the Quartet's appeal.

"This sends the wrong signal at this sensitive time,'' he said.

Meanwhile, the US state department said it was deeply disappointed by Israel's decision to expand its settlement and called the move "counterproductive".

- Reuters

Al Jazeera's Cal Perry, reporting from Ramallah, explained that Abbas had left the West Bank as a "weak"  leader but is "coming back to popularity that he really hasn't seen before".

Mahmoud Abbas, the president of Palestinian Authority (PA), has arrived to a hero's welcome in the West Bank city of Ramallah following his return from submitting a historic UN membership bid.

In a brief speech to a jubilant crowd outside the president's compound on Sunday, Abbas said: "I headed to the United Nations carrying your message, your need of an independent state. The whole world met our demand with respect and appreciation.

"We are powerful and strong by your demands, so hold your heads high, you are Palestinians."

Abbas also ruled out any peace talks without a "complete halt" to Israeli settlement building.

"There will be no negotiations without international legitimacy and a complete halt to settlements," he said