Palestinians rally across occupied West Bank to protest Bahrain conference

The 50 billion US dollar economic plan, published on Saturday, calls for massive infrastructure projects and job creation for Palestinians.

However, the plan does not address the core issues of the conflict between Israel and Palestine: the contested holy city of Jerusalem, sought by both peoples as a capital; the fate of more than 5 million Palestinian refugees and their descendants, and the borders of a future Palestinian state.

Read more: Hamas chief slams 'Arab-Israeli normalisation' at Bahrain conference

American officials say these issues will not be raised at this week's conference in Bahrain.

General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative Mustafa Barghouti said that he believes it is not a deal designed "for peace" and instead would "legitimatise the illegal annexation" of Jerusalem, the West Bank and of Golan heights.

"We cannot have economic development without being free," he added.  

Neither Israel nor the Palestinians will have official representation at the two-day summit.

The US delegation is to be led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

The 10-year plan calls for projects worth $6.3 billion for Palestinians in Lebanon, as well as $27.5 billion in the West Bank and Gaza, $9.1 billion in Egypt and $7.4 billion in Jordan.

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