West Bank (Syuzanna Petrosyan / Neon Tommy)

On Tuesday President of Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas announced that Palestine intends to seek recognition from 15 UN bodies but will not abandon the peace negotiations. Following the announcement, Kerry canceled his visit to the Middle East.

SEE ALSO: Israel Gives Permits For Hundreds Of Settlement Homes

Israel had agreed to free 104 Palestinian prisoners and in exchange, Palestinian Authority had pledged to not seek membership in UN organizations until April 2014. However, this weekend Israel refused to release the final 26 prisoners, prompting Palestinians to continue their efforts to join international agencies.

Read more at Reuters.

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