Ramallah, West Bank  - "With our souls, with our blood, we will sacrifice for Gaza" and "God is great," chant the protesters, as they march after completing Friday's prayers from the mosque at Ramallah's vegetable market to the West Bank city's central Manara circus.

"One people, united against the Israeli aggression," say several signs they hold up.

Ramallah - Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad dismissed Thursday speculation that President Mahmoud Abbas would heed demands from Hamas and step down from the presidency since his term of office expires on January 8.

"The conditions for a vacancy in the presidency has not yet been met, and this ends the discussions from the legal aspect," he told a news conference in Ramallah.

Ramallah - The European Union's Police Co-ordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support (EUPOL COPPS) is facing limitations, frustrations and challenges, the outgoing head of the unit said Monday.

Speaking to reporters as he ended his term of duty, Colin Smith expressed disappointment that the Palestinian police his unit trains is not able to pursue criminals throughout the West Bank.

"Criminals move in areas A, B and C of the West Bank and in Israel while the Palestinian police cannot move freely in these areas," he said.

Ramallah - The Palestinian Authority rejected an Israeli offer to withdraw from more than 93 per cent of the occupied West Bank because the remaining 7 per cent would divide the Palestinian Territories, Palestinian newspapers reported Saturday.

Israel wanted to annex four settlement blocs spread throughout the West Bank which would mean that "the most important territories will be annexed by Israel and the rest will not allow the formation of a Palestinian entity," Ahmad Qureia, head of the Palestinian negotiating team with Israel, said in a special interview with three newspapers.

Ramallah - The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Thursday criticized a European Union decision to upgrade the bloc's relations with Israel, saying the decision rewards Israel for continuing to violate Palestinian rights.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on the official Voice of Palestine radio the PA's disappointment with the EU decision saying "we expected the EU to force Israel to stop settlement activities" and other violations of Palestinian rights.

On Monday 27 EU foreign ministers agreed to upgrade the EU's relations with Israel, which will bring high-level regular meetings between Israeli politicians and EU leaders.

Arab states campaigned against the deal, which was negotiated over the past 18 months.

Ramallah  - The Palestinian Authority (PA) warned Thursday that clashes by Israeli settlers in Hebron and other West Bank areas could end the peace process.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, condemned in a statement the settlers' attacks against Palestinian civilians in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

He held the Israeli government as "directly responsible for this serious escalation," demanding an immediate end to the attacks.