Ramallah, Nov 27 (TIWN) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for backing the soft, peaceful, and popular resistance against Israel in the West Bank until Palestine achieves its goals.

During a meeting held here with leaders of the Fatah movement from the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Abbas said he appreciates the growth of the soft, peaceful, and popular resistance in Nablus and the villages around it against the Israeli settlers, the official Palestinian news agency (WAFA) reported.  Abbas called on all the Palestinian authorities concerned to provide all forms of support to strengthen the Palestinians' resistance in Nablus against Israel, while stressing the importance of adhering to the law and preserving civil peace, Xinhua News Agency reported.  Fatah leaders briefed Abbas on the situation in Nablus and the daily incursions of the Israeli army forces into the city, its villages, and refugee camps, besides the settlers' assaults on the Palestinians under Israeli soldiers' protection.  The villages around Nablus are witnessing daily confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers and settlers as part of activities carried out by the Popular Resistance Committees against settlements and the confiscation of the Palestinian land.  In 2000, the Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees were formed in the West Bank to confront Israeli settlers' violations, mainly in the villages in the northern area of the West Bank.  Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967 and has since established settlements on it, which are considered a violation of international law and have long been a major source of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.