Abbas-Olmert in new peace talks

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Israeli and Palestinian leaders have held further talks as they continue to try to advance peace negotiations.

Shortly before the meeting, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said that a deal would be difficult if Israel did not stop expanding Jewish settlements.

On Sunday, Israel announced plans to build 900 more homes for settlers in East Jerusalem, land regarded by the international community as occupied.

Israel says it has annexed the land and it is, therefore, not occupied.

Palestinians hope to establish the capital of their future state in East Jerusalem.

Palestinian officials said Monday's talks would include discussions on settlement building, a review of the last six months of talks, and Egyptian-brokered-efforts to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

The latest talks have also been overshadowed by corruption allegations against the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. He denies the allegations and has rejected calls from within his governing coalition to stand aside.

The current talks were launched by a meeting hosted by President George W Bush at Annapolis in the US in November last year.

Leaders at the talks committed themselves to trying to reach a deal on Palestinian statehood by the end of 2008.

There has been little visible progress in the talks.

Hamas, the militant group the runs Gaza, objects to and is excluded from the talks.