Ramallah – Kifah Zboun

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that recent developments in Lebanon regarding Palestinian refugees should be resolved only through dialogue.

During a Fatah meeting in Ramallah, he stressed that he would exert efforts to prevent any attempt to undermine “the excellent relationship” between the Palestinians and the Lebanese people.

The Lebanese Labor Ministry recently decided to regulate illegal foreign labor, a move originally intendedto target Syrian refugees, but which will have ramifications on Palestinian refugees as well.

“We do not want any tensions or escalation with Lebanon, and we want to foil any attempt by anyone who wants to destroy the excellent relations between us and our brothers in Lebanon,” Abbas emphasized.

The Palestinian president also asserted that his position has not changed with regards to the US “Deal of the Century”.

“Our position… has not changed: We will not accept the Deal of the Century and will not accept the Manama workshop,” he said, in reference to the Manama meeting held last month under US patronage in Bahrain.

Abbas also stressed the Palestinian leadership’s rejection to receive the tax revenues - collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinians - if they were not paid in full.

He also condemned the recent Israeli excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem, saying: “The excavations taking place in the occupied city of Jerusalem are a very serious issue, and we must not allow the Israelis to continue to tamper with the eternal capital of Palestine.”