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Palestinian Envoy Vows to Increase Intl Activity After US Move on PLO Office

© REUTERS / Juan MedinaA Palestinian refugee holds the flag of Palestine during a protest in Madrid, Spain, July 21, 2015
A Palestinian refugee holds the flag of Palestine during a protest in Madrid, Spain, July 21, 2015 - Sputnik International
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GAZA (Sputnik) - The Palestinians regard the US decision to close their diplomatic mission in Washington as a blow to the prospects for establishing peace in the Middle East, head of the Palestinian mission to the United States Husam Zomlot said on Monday, stressing that Palestine will not succumb to pressure tactics.

"While today is a dark day for peace in the Middle East, for multilateralism, and the integrity of the international political and legal system, we will continue our struggle to pursue all possible legal and political means to achieve peace, independence, and our internationally enshrined rights," Zomlot said in a statement, condemning the US move.

A female protester hurls a stone while others burn tires near the fence of the Gaza Strip border with Israel, during a protest east of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, Aug. 10, 2018. Violence erupted at the Gaza border Friday after the territory's militant Islamic Hamas rulers and Israel appeared to be honoring a cease-fire that ended two days of intense violence amid efforts by neighboring Egypt to negotiate between the two sides - Sputnik International
Palestine Wants Russia to Become Platform for Peace Talks With Israel - Analysts
Earlier in the day, US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert announced that the United States was closing the office of the General Delegation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

According to the Palestinian diplomat, such a "reckless" decision confirmed that Washington is "blindly executing Israel’s 'wish list,' which starts with shutting Palestine's diplomatic representation in the United States.

"However, this confirms for us that we are on the right track. We will step up our efforts to hold Israel accountable under international law, continue building international alliances for peace, double our efforts to reach out to the American people as we witness the transformational change in American public opinion in support of the Palestinian cause and our legitimate rights," Zomlot stressed.

READ MORE: Palestine Slams US for End of UNRWA Funding Program

The US State Department said the decision to shut down the PLO office was consistent with US concerns over Palestinian efforts to encourage the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open a probe into Israel.

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