Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet Thursday in a bid to undo a snag in the negotiations over Israeli plans to expand an east Jerusalem settlement, officials in Olmert's office said.

Palestinians have demanded that Israel cancel the project to build 307 homes in the neighborhood of Har Homa that Israel announced earlier this month. The publication of the construction plans coincided with a renewal of the first official peace talks in nearly seven years. (AP)