Mideast peace only possible when Palestinians get full rights: Abbas

LONDON, Sept 22 (Arab News): Those who think peace can prevail in the Middle East without the Palestinian people enjoying their full rights are mistaken, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday.
Addressing the UN General Assembly, he said Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory "violates the principles of international law and legitimacy while it races against time to change the historical, geographical and demographic reality on the ground, aimed at perpetuating the occupation and entrenching apartheid."
Abbas said his country remains hopeful that the UN will be "able to implement its resolution demanding an end to the Israeli occupation of our territory and realizing the independence of the fully sovereign state of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the borders of June 4, 1967."
He added that Israel continues to attack his people, and its "army and its racist, terrorist settlers continue to intimidate and kill our people, to destroy homes and property to just steal our money and resources."
Abbas said Israel "continues to assault our Islamic and Christian sacred sites … especially the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, which international legitimacy has recognized as an exclusive place of worship for Muslims alone."
He added that Israel is digging tunnels under and around the mosque, threatening its full or partial collapse, "which would lead to an explosion with untold consequences."
He urged the international community to assume its responsibilities in preserving the historic and legal status of Jerusalem and its holy sites.
An Al Jazeera report adds: A Palestinian teenager was shot dead by the Israeli forces during a raid near the city of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank.
In a statement, the Palestinian health ministry said the 18-year-old was killed by live rounds "to the abdomen" in the town of Kafr Dan. He is the seventh Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces this week.
Israeli troops raided several homes in the town early on Friday, triggering confrontations with Palestinian residents by firing sound bombs, tear gas canisters and live ammunition.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group identified the victim as Abdullah Abu Hasan and said he was a local fighter from its al-Quds Brigades armed wing.