Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Wednesday 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.
Abbas' new statement came right after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told a joint news conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Jerusalem that the PNA and Israel agreed to resume the peace talks.
"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," said Abu Rudeineh.
Rice told the press conference that they have been working with Egypt, Israel and Palestinian authority over the issue of Gaza so as to reinforce a mutual and equivalent calm there though the help of Egypt.
Rice added that the trilateral mechanism committee to implement the road map plan for peace in the Middle East will convene next Thursday.
Source:Xinhua
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