Rice concludes Mideast tour

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-03-06 11:11

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman of the presidency quoted Abbas assaying in a written statement that "we intend to resume the peace talks with Israel which reserve the aim of ending the occupation and establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital."

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak (L) meets with visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at King David hotel in Jerusalem, Israel, March 5, 2008. [Xinhua]

Earlier in the day, Abbas had stated that peace talks with Israel can be resumed after reaching a cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

Abbas decided to halt the peace negotiations with Israel at the beginning of the week following a week-long Israeli operations into Gaza, which left more than 120 people killed and around 400wounded.

"President Abbas highly appreciates Secretary Rice's efforts exerted to protect the peace process and the talks, mainly activating the trilateral mechanism committee to implement the road map plan," according to Abu Rudeineh.

Meanwhile, Abbas disclosed that Rice told him she would send an envoy to Egypt, which often mediates between Israel and Hamas. "There are real efforts being exerted by Egypt for the truce," Abbas was quoted as saying.

During a joint news conference in Jerusalem, Rice gave no time frame for a resumption of the talks but said Abbas had not conditioned the talks on reaching a cease-fire in Gaza.

Rice noted that the Palestinian president would like to see an end to violence, adding "This is not a condition."

According to local media, Rice met Palestinian negotiators Ahmed Qureia and Saeb Erekat in a final effort to convince the PNA to resume negotiations, prior to her meetings with Barak and Livni.

Also on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Rice that Israel would not be deterred from conducting a major military offensive in the Gaza Strip, according to Ha'aretz.

"Israel is committed to the security of its citizens, and while we do not want a wide operation in the Gaza Strip, we will not be deterred from it," Barak stressed.

1 2