Israeli and Palestinian peace deal now in play | WPN World People News

US President Barack Obama has met with Israeli-Palestinian leaders in Washington to launch a series of meetings aimed at restarting direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Mr Obama had bilateral meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to prepare the leaders for official direct negotiations later this week.

The first meeting was with Israeli prime minister Netanyahu, after which President Obama gave a brief public statement in which he condemned the murder of four Israelis near Hebron on Tuesday night, calling it "a senseless slaughter."

He said: "The United States is going to be unwavering in its support of Israel’s security, and we are going to push back against these kinds of terrorist activities."

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, met with Obama shortly after the Netanyahu meeting.

President Obama has also met with Jordan's King Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, whose countries have, in the past, made peace deals with Israel.

All five leaders will gather for a dinner on Wednesday night prior to a meeting between Netanyahu and Abbas on Thursday in a first round of formal negotiations.

President Obama has already set a one-year timeframe for the leaders to deliver positive outcomes.

Palestinian and Israeli leaders alike have denounced the murder of four Israeli settlers who were killed in a drive-by shooting in the West Bank on Tuesday.

The armed wing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.

Source: North America News.Net