Palestinian leadership accuses Israel of failing U.S. peace envoy's mission

A senior Palestinian official said Saturday that Israel is responsible for the frustration of special Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, after the Obama administration announced his resignation last night.

Saeb Erekat, a Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) official, accused Israel thwarting Mitchell's mission. "Every round he came, Israel showed him new settlement constructions, which caused his resignation later," Erekat said.

Erekat told Xinhua that he called Mitchell's deputy, David Hale, and asked him to concentrate on stopping settlements building in his new mission. Hale is set to replace Mitchell temporarily. "Mitchell made great efforts as a peace mediator and he started his mission with inviting Israel for stopping settlements building, " Erekat stated.

U.S. President Barak Obama announced the resignation of Mitchell after more than two years of trying to push Israel and the Palestinians into negotiations.

The United States is still committed to peace in the Middle East, he added.

Mitchell had started his mission as a special envoy for peace in January 2009, when Obama took office in the White House.

Mitchell made many rounds of peace talks in the region, especially between Israel and the Palestinians. His efforts succeeded to resume the negotiations between the two sides last year, but they broke down a few weeks later due to differences on Israel's settlement building in the West Bank.

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