Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday he would hold direct negotiations with Israel if there was progress in US-led indirect talks in the coming months.He appeared to ease up on previous demands for a complete halt to the construction of Jewish settlements before the relaunching of direct peace talks last suspended during the December 2008-January 2009 Gaza war.
"Our basic condition has been that there should be a complete halt to settlements, and that is why we went to indirect negotiations," Abbas told reporters in Ramallah.
"But we said if there is progress during the period determined by the Arab League for these negotiations, which is four months, during which we shall discuss borders and security, then there will be nothing preventing us from going to direct negotiations," he said.
The remarks came ahead of a July 6 meeting in Washington between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A senior Palestinian official, meanwhile, said Abbas was to meet on Thursday in the West Bank town of Ramallah with US special envoy George Mitchell who is mediating the indirect talks.
Abbas agreed to launch the so-called “proximity talks” in May after securing Arab backing, and has since held several rounds of indirect talks with Mitchell, but with no visible signs of progress.
Also Saturday, G-8 leaders said Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip is “not sustainable” in its current form and must be changed to allow more aid through to its Palestinian population.
In a statement issued after their summit in Canada, the heads of the world’s major industrialised economies also said they “deeply regret the loss of life” that happened last month when Israel stormed an activist boat off Gaza.
“We urge all parties to work together to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1860 and to ensure the flow of humanitarian and commercial goods and persons, to and from Gaza,” the final communiquŽ said.
“The current arrangements are not sustainable and must be changed,” it said, welcoming the Israeli government’s decision to loosen some of the controls it imposes on goods traffic in and out of the Hamas-controlled territory.
“We urge full and effective implementation of this policy in order to address the needs of Gaza’s population for humanitarian and commercial goods, civilian reconstruction and infrastructure, and legitimate economic activity.”
The statement also said Israel’s “legitimate security concerns... must continue to be safeguarded”.
Israel’s blockade, imposed after attacks on Israeli civilians by Palestinian fighters, has come under more scrutiny since May 31, when nine activists were killed after commandos stormed a Turkish ship heading to Gaza.
