Ramallah - Condemning the Israeli offensive in Gaza as a "heinous aggression" and a "horrific crime," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that negotiations with Israel cannot continue in their current form.

He said in a pre-recorded televised speech marking the 44th anniversary for the founding of his Fatah movement, that "even though we are convinced of the approach and goal (of negotiations) and our conviction and interest is not to go back, what is the benefit from continuing (the negotiations) in the form they have been conducted so far?"

Abbas said, "We will not hesitate to suspend (the negotiations) if they become in conflict with our interest, impair our inalienable rights or became a cover for waging aggression.

"Our people will not be out of choices if this option is closed or if the aggression, settlement and expropriation of land continue, which would make this option useless and meaningless," he said.

Abbas, who started his speech by telling the people of Gaza, who are under Israeli gunfire, "you are not alone," said "the Palestinian blood will not be cheap and will not be a commodity for elections or campaigns," in reference to the upcoming Israeli elections.

He said the Israeli attack on Gaza "is inflicting the bloodiest massacre and causing the most systematic destruction of all forms of life. It is a heinous aggression aimed at not only Gaza, rather at all the Palestinian people, their cause and their future."

He urged Arab and international intervention to "immediately halt this criminal act without any condition," threatening to hold the Israeli government "fully responsible for the horrific crimes it has committed and is still committing."

"The international community is asked to do more than just stop the aggression and condemn it. It has to implement international resolutions, particularly those that call for providing protection to our people and grant our people the freedom and independence that would end this decades-old conflict," said Abbas. (dpa)