The Washington Post on Saturday quoted US Secretary of State John Kerry as saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “has made it clear that he doesn’t want NATO” troops in the area as part of a final status agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Tel Aviv.

Kerry, however, said the possibility of a third-party force is a matter for the parties to consider.

Meanwhile, an Israeli official has also confirmed Netanyahu’s objection.

Acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas has proposed that the NATO force stay in a future Palestinian state to ensure security.

The US secretary of state is also planning to unveil a framework document as part of the US-brokered talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Since the resumption of the direct talks, Palestinians have objected to a number of issues including the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East al-Quds.

Israel’s settlement expansion policy in the West Bank has created a major obstacle against the progress of the talks.

The settlements are illegal under the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.

The last round of Israeli-Palestinian talks broke down in 2010 after the Tel Aviv regime refused to halt its settlement construction.

Israel has defied demands by the international community to stop construction of new settlements in West Bank and East al-Quds.

NTJ/HH