’Israel’, Palestinians to Hold Talks with US Envoy
Local Editor
"Israeli" and the Palestinian Authority negotiators were to hold a meeting Thursday with US envoy Martin Indyk, in a bid to find a way to extend their faltering talks.
The meeting had been put off by a day, with "Israel" implying the delay was due to the killing of an "Israeli" police officer in the West Bank.
But the Palestinians said it was to enable the participation of US envoy Martin Indyk.
"Israeli" and Palestinian negotiators met on their own on Sunday and held a three-way meeting with Indyk a week ago, in last-ditch efforts to save the stagnant peace process, launched by US Secretary of State John Kerry in July for a period of nine months.
Washington was pushing for an extension of talks beyond their April 29 deadline, but negotiations hit an impasse two weeks ago when "Israel" refused to release a group of Palestinian prisoners as agreed at the launch of talks.
The Palestinians retaliated by seeking accession to several international treaties.
Despite the crisis, Palestinian Authority chief Mahmud Abbas's spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina stressed the talks could be extended if the Zionist entity released the 26 prisoners, the last batch of a total of 104 Palestinian prisoners "Israel" agreed to free.
"What's needed now is "Israel's" commitment on issues that could lead to an extension of talks. If they commit, we're ready," he said on Wednesday.
And Abbas told "Israeli" opposition Knesset Members visiting him in the West Bank administrative center of Ramallah he would insist that 14 Arab "Israelis" were among those released, according to Haaretz newspaper.
The report said if talks were extended, Abbas would want the first three months to be "devoted to a serious discussion of borders."
According to Channel 2 television, "Israel's" Shin Bet domestic security agency head called for 10 of the 26 prisoners slated for release to be deported abroad or transferred to the Gaza Strip.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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