The Palestine Liberation Organization on Saturday called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting to discuss the increase in Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank.

“The PLO executive committee decided to call for the Security Council to convene an urgent meeting to discuss settlements,” the committee said after a meeting in Ramallah.

“We have decided to undertake contacts with all international blocs for the Security Council to adopt a resolution against settlements and for them to be stopped,” the committee said.

The PLO Executive Committee’s call followed the cancelation of a meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz which had been set for Ramallah on Sunday.

The rare high-level talks would have been a step toward resuming formal peace negotiations, although expectations were low that they would produce any breakthrough.