"Any [ U.S. ] guarantees to Israel that affect the final status issues... are unacceptable and will be rejected," warned Qorei (AFP)

GAZA CITY, April 13 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qorei warned that the Palestinians would not accept any Jewish settlements on their occupied territories in the West Bank, saying that any decision taken excluding the Palestinians would be "null and void".

The remarks came in response to statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Monday, April 13, that Israel would not relinquish control over six major settlement blocs in the West Bank, including Kiryat Arba and Ariel.

The Israeli pan would "destroy the whole peace process," Israeli daily Haaretz quoted Qorei as telling reporters after a cabinet meeting.

"These tactics destroy any hope for peace," he said.

"We will not accept any settlement blocs. And we will not accept any decisions unless the Palestinian Authority is apart of the decision making process."

The Palestinian premier said the U.S. would be derailing the entire peace process if it bowed to Sharon's pledge to keep control of West Bank settlement blocks by giving him guarantees for a pullout of the Gaza Strip.

Sharon is looking to secure backing from U.S. President George W. Bush at talks on Wednesday, April 14, for his disengagement plan under which Israel would evacuate 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the northern West Bank.

Qorei said a Gaza withdrawal should be comprehensive, including an end to control of entry and exit points, which Sharon rejects, and should be followed by the same in the West Bank, the Israeli daily said.

"Any [U.S.] guarantees to Israel that affect the final status issues... are unacceptable and will be rejected. We are the side that needs assurances," he stressed.

The Israeli media reported Saturday, April 10, that Bush would give Sharon and written guarantee that Washington would never press Israel to withdraw from the entire West Bank under any future peace settlement.

Palestinian Negotiations Minister Saeb Erekat also denounced Sharon’s statements as a "recipe for destruction" of the peace process.

"The maintenance of six settlement blocks in the West Bank is a recipe for closing all the doors in the peace process and its destruction," he told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

'Part Of Israel'

Sharon said Ma'aleh Adumim "will remain part of the state of Israel forever and ever" (AFP)

During a visit to the settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim, east of occupied Al-Quds,  shortly before flying to Washington, Sharon promised Jewish settlers they would "stay under Israeli control and continue to develop, along with five other settlements".

"Ma'aleh Adumim will remain part of the state of Israel forever and ever," Haaretz quoted him as saying while celebrating with the settlers the festival of Mimuna that marked the end of the Jewish holiday of Passover.

Ma'aleh Adumim, the largest settlement in the West Bank "will be included in the envelope fence around Jerusalem in order to avoid terror attacks on it and in its environs," said hawkish Sharon.

He named the other five settlements as Gush Etzion, Givat Ze'ev, Ariel, Kiryat Arba, and enclaves in the West Bank city of Al-Khalil [Hebron].

This was the first time Sharon has detailed the settlements Israel wants to keep in the West Bank, the Israeli daily stressed.

He said his plan is aimed at fencing off other initiatives for Middle East peace.

"Only an Israeli initiative will keep us from being dragged into dangerous initiatives like the Geneva and Saudi initiatives," Sharon said.

After a stop-over in London, Sharon left Tuesday, April 13, en route to Washington, where he will discuss his disengagement plan with U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday and Bush on Wednesday.

On Monday, Bush and visiting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak welcomed an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in accordance with the U.S.-backed 'roadmap' for Middle East peace.