However, the direct talks were suspended by the Palestinians, one month after it had been launched, due to the Israeli government's refusal to extend a 10-month moratorium over freezing settlement constructions in the Palestinian territories that ended on Sept. 26.
The Palestinians had threatened that if Israel keeps insisting not to freeze settlement constructions, they would use other diplomatic options, mainly demanding the UN Security Council to recognize an independent Palestinian state. Israel warned the Palestinians not to carry out such actions.