The first face-to face discussions between Israel and the Palestinians since 2008 are taking place from today in Washington.
In an interview with an Arabic newspaper Mr al-Zahar also accused Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas of “preventing resistance” by cooperating with Israel.
The Palestinian Authority said they had made hundreds of arrests in the wake of the fatal drive-by shooting near Hebron on Wednesday.
Mr al-Zahar added: “How was Gaza freed? Through negotiations? Of course not. The Israelis understood that [occupying Gaza] exacts a heavy price and chose to leave.”
Following a meeting with President Obama in Washington yesterday Israeli Prime Minister Benajmin Netanyahu ruled out a unilateral deal.
He said: “We left Lebanon, we got terror. We left Gaza, and we got terror once again.
“We want to ensure that territory we concede will not be turned into a third Iranian-sponsored terror enclave aimed at the heart of Israel.”
