Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of late Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, said here Monday that the Jewish settlements in the West Bank obstruct the establishment of the future Palestinian state.

Gandhi, chairman of the Initiatives of Change International, an NGO working for peace, reconciliation and human security worldwide, toured the West Bank and met with several Palestinian leaders.

Gandhi told a news conference in Ramallah that the Jewish settlements, the road barriers and the separation wall in the West Bank are "more illegal and humiliating than I believed."

"The Palestinian people's experience with the Israeli occupation is so painful, but the people have a powerful will and like to get rid of the occupation that I myself had experienced," said Gandhi.

He expressed his full support to the Palestinian decision to carry on popular struggle "against the occupation in the West Bank, " adding "popular struggle is more powerful than the pressure of media on Israel."

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) as well as Fatah movement of President Mahmoud Abbas decided to intensify the popular protests against the Israeli measures, mainly construction of settlements and security roadblocks.

"Our duty is to wake up the international community and tell it that it should move to end the occupation in the Palestinian territories," Gandhi said, adding "I will personally join the support of the just Palestinian cause."