US sets talks with Israeli, Palestinian negotiators

WASHINGTON: Israeli and Palestinian envoys are expected to hold separate talks in Washington this week with US officials as part of a bid by Washington to revive peace negotiations, the State Department said Monday.

Spokesman Philip Crowley said Israeli envoy Yitzhak Molcho and Palestinian Saeb Erakat "will come to Washington to meet separately with US officials as part of our ongoing consultations with the parties at the working level to achieve a framework agreement on all core issues."

He said the two envoys will not meet with each other but that US Middle East envoy George Mitchell is likely to speak to each of them.

Direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed after Washington admitted it had failed to secure Israel's agreement to a new freeze on settlement building, the Palestinian condition for continuing to negotiate.

Direct talks began on September 2, but stalled three weeks later with the end of an Israeli moratorium on settlement building. The Palestinians refused to talk while Israel continued building.