Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both said Tuesday they were willing to meet to relaunch peace efforts, but no date was set and they traded blame for stalled talks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been seeking to arrange a meeting between the two in Moscow in a bid to restart peace efforts that have been at a standstill for more than two years.
But disagreements over the conditions for such talks have derailed previous efforts, and Netanyahu again called for a meeting without preconditions.
Abbas did not speak of what his conditions would be for such a meeting if any, but Palestinian leaders have previously spoken of three issues.
They include a halt to Israeli settlement building, the release of prisoners and a deadline for the end of the occupation of the West Bank.
The Palestinian president, speaking during a visit to Warsaw, said a meeting had been proposed for Friday but an aide to Netanyahu suggested delaying this, leading to it being called off.
"Netanyahu's representative proposed to delay this meeting to a later date. So the meeting will not happen," Abbas said at a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda.
"But I am ready and I declare again that I will go to any meeting."
Netanyahu, speaking during a visit to The Hague, said he was "ready to meet Abu Mazen (Abbas) at any time directly and without preconditions".
"The real question is whether Abu Mazen is willing to meet us without preconditions and we are hearing conflicting reports on that," he said.
Putin's Middle East envoy has held talks with both Netanyahu and Palestinian leaders in recent days.
On Tuesday after talks in Palestinian political capital Ramallah, he said efforts would continue to work towards a future meeting.
"We are very thankful that Abu Mazen accepted in principle the Russian initiative proposed by President Putin," Mikhail Bogdanov said.
"We'll continue our efforts, discussions and contacts with the two parties about the form, contents and dates of the meeting."
- Political concerns -
Peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.
The last substantial public meeting between Abbas and Netanyahu is thought to have been in 2010, although there have been unconfirmed reports of secret meetings since then.
There have been concerns in Israel that US President Barack Obama will seek to make a strong statement on the conflict in his final months in office, possibly by supporting or at least not vetoing a UN Security Council resolution that Israel opposes.
International criticism of Israeli settlement building, including from the United States, has intensified in recent months.
Netanyahu's government, considered to be the most right-wing in the country's history, has nonetheless continued with the policy.
The settlements are considered illegal under international law and major obstacles to peace as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.
At the same time, the Palestinians themselves remain divided between Abbas's Fatah party and the Islamist movement Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip.
Polls have also shown that the majority of Palestinians want the 81-year-old Abbas to resign, making it difficult for him to take any steps that could be seen as concessions.
France has also been pursuing its own peace initiative, with the idea of holding an international conference on the conflict before the end of the year.
The Palestinians strongly support France's international approach, saying years of negotiations with the Israelis have not ended the occupation.
Netanyahu, however, firmly opposes the French initiative and calls for direct talks.
On Tuesday, Abbas said international help to end the conflict was crucial.
"The peace process has stalled because of the Israeli government's position and we now need the political and economic help of the United States and the European Union, especially to rebuild our infrastructure," he said.
AFP
Wed Sep 07 2016
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas did not speak of what his conditions would be for such a meeting if any, but Palestinian leaders have previously spoken of three issues. - AP Photo / File
Warga Australia dipindahkan, lega pulang ke tanah air
Warga Australia yang dipindahkan dari New Caledonia yang mengalami rusuhan maut selama seminggu. memberitahu media tempatan mereka lega sebaik sahaja kembali ke tanah air pada Selasa.
Menteri ada rekod jenayah letak jawatan
Seorang Menteri Thailand, Pichit Chuenban, pada Selasa meletakkan jawatan selepas tertakluk kepada aduan undang-undang daripada senator yang boleh membawa kepada pemecatan Perdana Menteri Thailand, Srettha Thavisin atas pelantikannya.
Keranda bawa jenazah Raisi tiba di Tehran
Pegawai dan tokoh agama Iran menerima keranda Presiden Iran, Ebrahim Raisi dan beberapa individu lain di Tehran, dalam satu majlis pada Selasa.
PMX ke Jepun bermula Rabu, pertama kali sertai Persidangan Nikkei sebagai Perdana Menteri
Wisma Putra dalam kenyataan pada Selasa memaklumkan, PM Anwar menyertai persidangan tersebut atas jemputan Nikkei Inc. dan ia merupakan penyertaan pertama beliau sebagai Perdana Menteri.
Beri tumpuan kepada pelaburan dalam negeri - Dr Jomo
Kerajaan perlu memberi galakkan kepada pelaburan dalam negeri dalam usaha memacu pertumbuhan ekonomi negara.
Mat Sabu wakili Malaysia ke Iran, hadiri pengebumian Presiden Raisi
Menteri Pertanian dan Keterjaminan Makanan, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu akan ke Iran bagi mewakili Malaysia untuk menghadiri pengebumian Presiden Iran, Almarhum Ebrahim Raisi.
Tumpuan Rabu – 22 Mei 2024
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan di Astro AWANI.
Jemaah Menteri setuju laksanakan penyasaran subsidi diesel
Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata, keputusan itu tidak melibatkan pengguna Sabah dan Sarawak kerana penduduk di sana kebanyakannya menggunakan diesel untuk urusan seharian.
Kerajaan bakal jimat RM4 bilion setahun
Jelas Perdana Menteri, dengan penyasaran subsidi diesel tersebut, jumlah penjimatan kepada kerajaan adalah dijangka sekitar 4 bilion ringgit setahun.
Satu langkah berani diambil kerajaan
Penasihat Penyelidikan Khazanah Research Institute, Prof Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram menyifatkan pelaksanaan penyasaran subsidi ke atas bahan api termasuk diesel disifatkan satu langkah berani diambil kerajaan pimpinan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Biden selar waran tangkap ICC terhadap Netanyahu, menteri Israel
Biden turut menyifatkan permohonan pendakwa raya ICC untuk keluarkan waran tangkap terhadap pemimpin Israel sebagai keterlaluan.
Netanyahu berdepan penolakan dunia, menteri dalam kabinet perang sendiri - Penganalisis
Wajah sebenar Perdana Menteri Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, yang dahagakan darah kini telah terdedah dan tidak lagi dapat menutup kepalsuan yang cuba dipaksakan kepada dunia.
Pemimpin Israel berpecah kerana tadbir urus Gaza pasca perang
Netanyahu juga berada di bawah tekanan Washington untuk mengakhiri konflik dengan segera.
Polis Israel guna meriam air leraikan protes antikerajaan
Penunjuk perasaan menggesa Perdana Menteri Benjamin Netanyahu berundur dan mengadakan pilihan raya baharu.
'Kami akan berjuang menggunakan hanya kuku, jika perlu' - Netanyahu
Netanyahu tidak mengendahkan tekanan antarabangsa yang semakin meningkat untuk bersetuju dengan gencatan senjata.
Wanita Israel tuntut pembebasan 130 tebusan di Gaza
Demonstrasi jalanan menentang kerajaan oleh keluarga dan penyokong daripada lebih 130 tebusan yang masih ditahan di Gaza masih diteruskan.
Masyarakat perlu bangkit, beri tekanan kepada Israel - Nurul Izzah
Semua lapisan masyarakat harus bangkit dan memberi tekanan kepada Israel serta sekutunya untuk berhenti melakukan perkara yang menambah kesengsaraan kepada warga Gaza.
Hamas terima cadangan gencatan senjata di Gaza, Israel tidak setuju
Benjamin Netanyahu sifatkan perjanjian gencatan senjata itu tidak memenuhi tuntutan Israel.
Ribuan penunjuk perasaan Israel tentang Netanyahu
Peserta tunjuk perasaan menuduh Netanyahu meneruskan peperangan untuk terus berkuasa.
ICC minta henti ancaman ke atas kakitangannya
ICC meminta sebarang tindakan untuk menakut-nakutkan atau mempengaruhi pegawainya dihentikan segera.