Netanyahu's UN speech provocative: Palestinian officials

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the UN General Assembly in New York was provocative to Palestinians, officials said.

Netanyahu Monday said that the Hamas movement and the Islamic State (IS) are two branches of a toxic tree, and that he is seeking to reach a historic solution to bring a better future to the Israeli people, Xinhua reported.

Palestine's chief peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat said that Netanyahu's speech was misleading and undermines efforts to resume a fruitful and constructive peace process.

"He just wants to accuse Iran, the Islamic world and Hamas for being terrorists and completely forgets what the extremist power of his Jewish state do," Erekat said.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian president's spokesman Nabil Abu Rdineh said in a statement that any historic solution in the Middle East has to be based on an international resolution and the Arab peace initiative.

"Netanyahu must know that any solution should start with lifting the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip".

In his UN address Netanyahu also accused Hamas of using Palestinian civilians as human shields during Israel's latest 50-day offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas, however, has strongly denied the charge as "an untrue claim full of lies", citing Netanyahu's rejection to receive an international committee to probe the crimes committed by Israel in Gaza.

"Netanyahu represents the longest and last occupation of other people's lands in the world. This occupation power is killing women and children, and confiscates the lands of the Palestinian people and rapes their legitimate rights," a senior Hamas leader said.

During the latest battle between Israel and Hamas-led militants which started July 8 and lasted for 50 days, more than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians.

Israel also lost 66 soldiers and six civilians.

On Aug 26 Egypt brokered a ceasefire agreement between the two sides, after which the calm has been sustained.

Last week, Egypt concluded a new round of Palestinian-Israeli indirect peace talks in Cairo where both sides approved the agenda of further talks scheduled for the second half of October.