RAMALLAH, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Thursday condemned the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the Israeli settlement of Har Brakha near the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a press statement that "the provocative visit of Netanyahu into the West Bank and the hostile statements and stances he made are rejected and condemned."
A statement issued by Netanyahu's office said that he and his wife Sara arrived in the settlement to condole the family of the two Israelis who were killed in a shooting attack carried out by Palestinians in the town of Hawara, south of Nablus on Sunday.
On Sunday, a Palestinian gunman opened fire at a vehicle of two Israelis in Hawara and killed them. In response, Israeli settlers attacked the town and burned dozens of cars and homes.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said, "Netanyahu's visit has no legitimate or legal characteristic, contrary to the rules of international law, UN resolutions, and the signed agreements."
It added that "the visit reveals the true face of the Israeli government and its prime minister, who leads a government of settlements and settlers and sabotages the opportunity to revive the peace process."
Netanyahu's visit comes amid tensions between the Palestinians and Israelis since Jan. 1.
Israel took control of the West Bank in 1967 and established dozens of settlements on it. The settlement issue is one of the most prominent aspects of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and one of the main reasons for suspending the last direct peace negotiations between the two sides in 2014.
