Mubarak warns of widespread violence

CAIRO, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- A breakdown in talks between Israel and the Palestinians will lead to widespread violence, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said.

In an interview with the Egypt Armed Forces journal marking the 37th anniversary of the Yom Kippur war, Mubarak warned, if the peace process collapses, "violence and terrorism will erupt in the Middle East and all over the world."

Mubarak said Egypt will refuse to continue to participate in peace negotiations because of the resumption of construction in West Bank settlements, the Egyptian daily al-Masry al-Youm said Tuesday.

"The settlement activity on occupied land tears down the most important elements of an independent Palestinian state, which is land," the newspaper quoted Mubarak as telling the military journal.

The Egyptian president said he informed Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu the continuation of settlement activity "hinders the negotiations and undermines the peace process."

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was to meet with Mubarak Tuesday to discuss the latest developments, Israeli media reported Tuesday.

Referring to reports in the Arab media that claimed Netanyahu had agreed to impose an additional construction freeze on settlements, the Israeli prime minister told government ministers the time was not ripe "for issuing statements," Haaretz said Tuesday.