Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie said on Saturday Israel's expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank could bar the establishment of a viable Palestinian state and renew bloodshed. Qurie spoke to Reuters in an interview a day after an Israeli official said the population of Jewish settlements in occupied land had grown by more than 9,000 this year to 246,000 despite Israel's removal of settlers from Gaza this month. "The Palestinians are very worried about the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, particularly around Jerusalem ... this will destroy the possibility of a viable Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza," Qurie said. Holding up a map of the West Bank, Qurie ran his fingers along coloured lines that highlight Israeli building plans to link Jerusalem to the West Bank settlement Maale Adumim, which Israel is finalising plans to expand. "This will renew the cycle of violence," Qurie said. Militant groups committed to Israel's destruction have celebrated the Gaza withdrawal as a victory of their strategy of suicide bombings and have vowed to renew attacks in the West Bank and Jerusalem to end Israel's occupation of these areas. --More 2227 Local Time 1927 GMT
