Ramallah/Gaza, Feb 7 (IANS): A two-day general assembly meeting of the central council of Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) kicked off in the West Bank city of Ramallah in the presence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

At the presidential headquarters in the city, Abbas delivered a speech at the meeting of the Palestinian Central Council (PCC), the second-highest decision-making body in the PLO, on Sunday evening noting that the PCC would consider all the options regarding the relationship with Israel, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The Palestinian leadership will study all the options regarding the relationship with Israel after it responded to the fullest extent with international efforts to find a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," said the President.

The official Palestinian news agency (WAFA) reported that the first session was titled "developing and activating the PLO, protecting the national project, and popular resistance".

Salim Za'noun, the outgoing Speaker of the Palestinian National Council (PNC), the highest decision-making body of the PLO, was unable to attend the meeting due to his illness.

Father Constantine Qarmash, his deputy, read the opening speech, saying the Palestinian people "will never accept the status quo and any alternative that is detracted from their national rights".