With planned indirect Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on hold after a row over settlement building in East Jerusalem, Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank give their views on the prospects for peace.

ADEL HASSAN RASHED, 81, UNEMPLOYED, NABLUS

Adel Hassan Rashed, Palestinian, Nablus

We should never go back to negotiations. The solution is always in the hands of the US, but we expect nothing from them. They are the only power in the world - and the Israeli have no-one standing against them.

The idea of the two-state solution is like morphine [ie used to anaesthetise the Palestinians]. There is nothing called a solution. They just keep taking the land from us and building for themselves. Israel took everything from us and the Americans are backing them up, even with weapons.

The only option we have is to take back with force what they took from us. When we have the real power to fight, we will - but not now, we have no power.

KHADER SAMARITAN, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH CENTRE, 55, NABLUS

Khader Samaritan, Palestinian, Nablus

I think it's better for us to have direct negotiations with Israel, because there is no-one to talk on our behalf in indirect ones.

Face to face talks are better, but the condition for these should be to stop the settlement activity. - and not just for eight months.

East Jerusalem is internationally known as the capital of the future Palestinian state and west Jerusalem is the capital for the Israelis - this should be the two-state solution.

Peace is the key to everything. I'm not convinced about military resistance. The people are already suffering from the economic situation and the first and second intifidas. The people of the world have heard our voices, and all the world is standing behind us - to have a third intifada now would just hurt our own people.

RUBA ZAGHMOURI, 24, ARTS CENTRE WORKER, RAMALLAH

Ruba Zaghmouri, Palestinian, Ramallah

It's not about whether Mahmoud Abbas should go into talks or not. Whether he does or doesn't go into them, I don't think the result will satisfy the Palestinian people.

I don't want a two state solution. Definitely not. A two-state solution could be done when we have equal grounds, both the Palestinians and Israelis, but without us Palestinians having basic rights, you can't discuss a two-state solution.

I have never believed in a two-state solution. I want to be free. I want to live in peace. I want to be able to live here in Ramallah without going back and forth to Jerusalem for my ID problems. I don't want to have to go to Amman just to use an airport. I don't want anyone to be killed, and I don't want anything to be stolen from us.

What I want is so confused at the moment. I feel like Palestinian and Israeli leaders are all lying to us. It's becoming really difficult for the new generation to weigh what's right and wrong and what we actually want out of all of this. We know we want peace, but how it could be achieved - this is what we don't know.

AYMAN AL-NAZER, DENTIST, 48, RAMALLAH

Ayman al-Nazer, Palestinian, Ramallah

I believe that all the negotiations with Israel should be stopped. The Arab street should take a different way. We've been negotiating for 20 years now, for nothing.

I still support peaceful resistance, but everyone knows what the other option is, and the other option will happen if the Israelis don't sit down for real negotiations.

Unfortunately the Jewish people don't want peace. You can see the facts on the ground. The whole world can see what's going on on the ground. There is no way to achieve peace with these people.

AMINA AL-HASANAT, SALES DIRECTOR, 22, GAZA

Amina al-Hasanat, Palestinian, Gaza

I believe that negotiations are the only solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, but must be done in the right way. To take steps to improve the conditions for negotiations, the Arab leaders should maintain pressure on Israel to accept negotiations based on international legitimacy and United Nations resolutions. Israel must stop settlement activity in Jerusalem and the West Bank and recognise the rights of the Palestinian people.

I dream of a two-state solution which is based on a viable independent Palestinian state, side-by-side with Israel. We must find a unified Palestinian strategy to support the position of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, because Israel is taking the division between the Palestinians as an excuse to stop negotiations and continue attacks against the Palestinian people.

MOHAMMED OMAR TAHA, ACCOUNTANT, 32, GAZA
Mohammed Omar Taha, Palestinian, Gaza

Negotiations would be a waste of time. We have negotiated for more than 15 years, but we got nothing but siege and settlements, killing and destruction. The Arab leaders should take a decision to stop negotiating and go for the military option against Israel, which knows only the language of force. The two-state solution is a big lie. We must end the division [between Palestinians] first and then take a clear decision to stop the negotiations and security co-ordination with Israel, and go to the option of resistance by all means - popular resistance and armed resistance if necessary.

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