(VOVworld) - The US Secretary of State John Kerry returned to the Middle East on Monday in a bid to revive peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine, which are scheduled to close on April 29 but have so far failed to reach any agreement. He had a two-hour discussion with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, originally planned for Monday, was canceled without any reason. Kerry instead met with chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat.
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US Secretary of State John Kerry returned to the Middle East on Monday to revive peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine
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Netanyahu on Saturday said that Israel would refuse to free 26 Palestinian prisoners if Palestine refused to extend peace talks beyond the deadline. Kerry’s near 24-hour visit aimed to push Israel’s position on its Palestinian prisoners, which could bring the peace talks to the brink of collapse.
Palestinian officials agreed to halt all efforts to secure international recognition and wait for the results related to the prisoners following Kerry’s visit. The leadership agreed there would be no extension of talks without a comprehensive freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.