Outgoing US President George W. Bush expressed optimism regarding Israeli-Palestinians relations, during a farewell visit by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to the White House.
Bush, who leaves office Jan. 20, said a US-backed Middle East peace process has yielded "a good deal of progress," even as the Palestinians and Israelis are headed toward the end of the year with no deal in place.
The US president conceded that, "No question, this is a hard challenge. But nevertheless, people must recognize that we have made a good deal of progress."
Abbas responded in kind by heaping praise on Bush for his role in pushing the peace talks. The Palestinian leader said there is no doubt that Palestinians will stick with the peace process, and he expressed optimism about working with Barack Obama's administration.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israel's Egyptian-brokered ceasefire ended Friday and Hamas leaders stated they would not extend it. Residents of southern Israel, particularly the western Negev, suffered an increased frequency of rocket attacks.