AMMAN — Palestinian and Israeli top negotiators are expected to meet “most likely in Amman”, a senior Palestinian official said on Tuesday.
Speaking from Ramallah, the official, who asked to remain unnamed, stopped short from confirming reports that exploratory talks Jordan hosted this year between the two sides would resume, but said there is a plan that Palestinian top negotiator Saeb Erekat and Israeli counterpart Yitzhak Molcho would meet today, either in Cairo or Amman, “but most likely in Amman”.
Agence France-Presse reported that Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are to hold renewed talks, in what would be their first public meeting in more than two months, quoting an unnamed senior official as saying on Tuesday.
“There are preparations with the Israeli side to have a meeting between Saeb Erekat and Yitzhak Molcho in the next few hours or days,” the senior Palestinian official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Jordanian officials were not available for comment.
The negotiators met several times in Amman earlier this year for the first time in 16 months, in what was described as “baby steps” towards actual negotiations over final-status issues.
The news of the possible meeting came as Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Judeh on Tuesday reviewed the latest developments in the Middle East peace process with the US special envoy to the region,David Hale, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
During the meeting in Amman yesterday, Judeh outlined Jordan’s efforts to push the peace process forward and address all final status issues, Petra said.
In addition, the two officials asserted the need to continue efforts to bring the Palestinians and Israelis back to the negotiating table, so as to achieve the two-state solution on the basis of international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
For his part, Hale stressed his country’s commitment to support the Kingdom’s efforts to overcome obstacles facing the peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, according to Petra.
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