Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that according to the Palestinians' understanding, Israel and the US have yet to reach an agreement on a halt to Jewish construction in the West Bank, a Palestinian condition for the resumption of peace negotiations.
Erekat spoke Tuesday evening following talks between special US envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas inRamallah, which focused on the peace process and a possible three-way meeting between Abbas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu andUS President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York next week.
'No deal.' Mitchell (L) with Abbas (Photo: Reuters)
Palestinian sources said it was made clear to Mitchell that the Palestinian position on an Israeli settlement freeze has not changed and that the international community, led by the US, must continue to press Israel on this issue.
Following a meeting between Netanyahu and Mitchell Tuesday morning, an official at the Prime Minister's Office said the sides had made additional progress, likely referring to the settlement construction issue. The US has demanded that Israel freeze the construction for a year, while Israel is ready to freeze it for only six months.
Mitchell and Netanyahu are scheduled to meet once again on Wednesday morning.