JERUSALEM, Aug. 28 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to never remove any Jewish settlements from the occupied West Bank on Monday.
"We are here to stay, forever," he said at an event in the settlement of Barkan, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Israel's occupation of the West Bank and the beginning of the settlements.
"There will be no more uprooting of settlements in the land of Israel. It has been proven that it does not help peace," he said, "We have uprooted settlements. What did we get? We received missiles. It will not happen anymore."
The settlements are located on lands which Israel seized during the 1967 Middle East war. The international community has repeatedly condemned the settlements as a breach of international law and a hurdle to peace.
Netanyahu has voiced contradicting statements on his willingness to reach a peace deal based on the two-state solution. He said he was willing to negotiate peace with the Palestinians while at the same time, his government continues expanding the settlements.