No agreement between Israel, US on settlement: Netanyahu

JERUSALEM: Israel's hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today said his government has not entered into any agreement with the US over
freezing construction activities in the West Bank.

"No decision has been made and we have not reached an agreement with the United States," Netanyahu told Israel Radio today.

"There are a lot of rumours and a lot of newspaper articles, none of which are my responsibility. We haven't agreed to anything yet, we are still working towards advancing peace talks while safeguarding settlers' rights, who are equal citizens," the leader of the right-wing Likud part said.

The Israeli premier also vowed not to compromise on the Jewish state's security under any peace deal with the Palestinians.

"Any decision is bound to disappoint someone, each side saying you should have done things differently, but I will conduct myself in the way I believe will promote Israel and peace," he stressed.

The number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank has more than doubled since the mid-1990s, reaching around 300,000, leading to expanded construction activities. The Palestinian Authority has dubbed the settlement activities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as the biggest hurdle in the path of the peace process.