By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wrapped up a two-day visit to Israel and the West Bank Wednesday by receiving promises to resume Israel-PNA peace negotiations suspended after IDF offensive in Gaza.
At a joint press conference Wednesday with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Rice said that she had obtained assurances from both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to resume peace negotiations without any preconditions.
“I’ve been informed by the parties that they intend to the resume the negotiations and that they are in contact with one another as to how to bring this about,” Rice said.
Rice kicked off a new Middle East visit on Tuesday in a bid to help revive the Palestinian-Israeli talks following a five-day incursion of Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip.
Following her tour to Egypt, Rice visited Israel and the West Bank by meeting with Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
Speaking at a news conference after meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday, Rice urged Israel and the Palestinians to resume suspended peace negotiations and said she believed a deal was still possible by the end of the year, but gave no indication that she had secured Abbas’ agreement to return to talks.
Earlier on Wednesday, Abbas had said that peace talks could not resume until Israel agrees to a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
“The negotiations must be started, but after the truce,” Abbas was quoted by local media as saying. “Once the truce is achieved the road will be open for negotiations.”
However, right after Rice told the joint news conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Jerusalem that the PNA and Israel agreed to resume the peace talks in the day, Abbas announced that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) intends to resume peace talks with Israel.
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.”
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.