RAMALLAH, Sept. 15 (JMCC) - Peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis will continue in
Jerusalem after the latest round of talks conclude in Sharm el-Sheikh, according to the
BBC.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that she will be on hand in Jerusalem to mediate continuing talks between the two sides.
Although negotiations have taken place in Washington and Egypt, they remain fragile as Palestinians say they will pullout if
Israel does not extend its freeze on
settlement building in the occupied
West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu says he will not extend the freeze, set to expire on September 26, but is amenable to alternative solutions. The issue remains highly explosive for both sides.
...No news emerged of any compromise on settlements after the trilateral negotiations between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Red Sea resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh.
However, Mr Mitchell described the discussions as very serious, detailed and extensive, and said the two sides had reiterated their intent to approach them in good faith.
President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu continue to agree that these negotiations, whose goal is to resolve all core issues, can be completed in one year, he told a news conference.
We continue our efforts to make progress and we believe that we are moving in the right direction, overall.
He also repeated Mrs Clinton's call for Israel to extend its freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank.
We know this is a politically sensitive issue in Israel. But we've also called on President Abbas to take steps that help encourage and facilitate this process.
Nearly half a million Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. They are held to be illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this...
Read more at the
BBC...