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Tens of thousands of Palestinians have flocked to the grave of their former leader, Yasser Arafat, in Ramallah to mark five years since his death.Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the crowds, reiterating his demand that Israel end settlement building before he will attend talks.

The anniversary comes a week after Mr Abbas said he would not seek re-election in polls due in January.

In his speech, Mr Abbas said he would not speak further about his decision.

He said the Palestinian Authority would not return to the negotiating table unless there was a "clear framework" for talks aimed at creating a Palestinian state.

Any deal had to be based on the 1967 ceasefire line that defined the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Mr Abbas said.

Mr Abbas, who is also leader of the Fatah movement, stressed that his hand remained extended to the Islamist group Hamas, which has said it will prevent elections from taking place in Gaza. Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007.

Egyptian attempts to broker a reconciliation deal have so far failed.

Peace impasse

Correspondents say Mr Abbas has stuck adamantly to his demand that Israel cease all settlement activity, including in East Jerusalem, before the Palestinians will restart peace talks.

However, his support has been eroded in recent weeks, they add.





Firstly, the US toned down its initial calls for a complete settlement freeze, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hailing Israeli concessions on the issue as "unprecedented" and calling for negotiations without preconditions.

Secondly, Palestinians were angered when the PA stopped pushing for a UN vote on a report that accused both Israeli forces and Hamas militants of committing war crimes during the Israeli offensive in Gaza last winter.

It reversed the decision after heavy criticism among Palestinians.

Mr Abbas announced last Thursday that he would not seek re-election in January because of the impasse in peace negotiations.

His announcement has been interpreted by many in the region as a way to pressure the US to push Israel harder.




MAHMOUD ABBAS

• Born in Safed in British Mandate Palestine (now northern Israel) in 1935; studied law in Egypt and gained doctorate in Moscow
• A founder member, with Yasser Arafat, of Palestinian political faction Fatah
• Held security role within the PLO in the early 1970s
• Appointed head of the PLO's department for national and international relations in 1980
• Widely regarded as an architect of the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords
• In January 2005, elected president of the Palestinian Authority

Analysis: After Mahmoud Abbas

Profile: Mahmoud Abbas

They believe elections may not take place as scheduled because of the division between Fatah and Hamas.

Mr Abbas took over as head of Fatah and the Palestine Liberation Organisation after Yasser Arafat died in 2004, and became president of the Palestinian Authority a year later.

But he has struggled to make headway towards a peace deal in negotiations with Israel, amid deadlock over Israeli settlements.

He has also faced opposition from Hamas, which won legislative elections in January 2006.

The four-year term of the Palestinian Legislative Council, or parliament, is due to expire in January 2010, at which time fresh elections must be held, according to the Palestinian constitution.


Mr Abbas' presidential term expired earlier this year.