A Palestinian Fatah leader imprisoned in Israel said Sunday that resuming peace talks after the Israeli parliamentary elections is a "catastrophic" choice and a waste of time.

"Israel does seek peace because we provide it with security for free," said member of Fatah central committee Mawran al-Barghouthi in a written statement from his cell.

He also said that peace negotiations with Israel were failed, adding that "they only brought more surrender and settlements."

Peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel hit a brick wall in 2010 over Israeli settlement expansion.

The Israeli legislative elections are set to be held on Jan. 22.

The Fatah official said the upgrade of Palestinian status to a UN non-member observer state was an important step forward, but he stressed that the Palestinian leadership must take serious steps to join international treaties and UN agencies.

Al-Bargouthi, who enjoys a massive popularity among Fatah supporters, was arrested in 2002 in the West Bank and sentenced to five consecutive life terms in Israeli prisons for what Israel called his role in anti-Israeli military activities. Endi