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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Abbas and Olmert in formal talks | Abbas and Olmert in formal talks |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert are holding talks in Jerusalem. | |
| The meeting is taking place at Mr Olmert's residence in the city. | |
| The pair met informally in June, but these are the first formal talks between an Israeli and a Palestinian leader for a year and a half. | |
| It comes after a recent truce following months of fighting in the Gaza Strip after the capture of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants in July. | It comes after a recent truce following months of fighting in the Gaza Strip after the capture of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants in July. |
| Mr Abbas and Mr Olmert have both said recently that they want to re-start peace talks, but both sides have also played down the prospects for any rapid progress. | Mr Abbas and Mr Olmert have both said recently that they want to re-start peace talks, but both sides have also played down the prospects for any rapid progress. |
| Hamas sticking point | Hamas sticking point |
| Israel has repeatedly said it will not deal with the Hamas-led Palestinian government, which refuses to recognise Israel. | Israel has repeatedly said it will not deal with the Hamas-led Palestinian government, which refuses to recognise Israel. |
| Mr Abbas says his attempts to persuade Hamas to change its position have failed. Last week he called early elections, but Hamas denounced this as a coup attempt. | Mr Abbas says his attempts to persuade Hamas to change its position have failed. Last week he called early elections, but Hamas denounced this as a coup attempt. |
| The dispute led to some of the worst factional fighting between Palestinians in years, prompting fears that the violence was descending into all-out civil war. | The dispute led to some of the worst factional fighting between Palestinians in years, prompting fears that the violence was descending into all-out civil war. |
| Correspondents say a breakthrough in the stalled Middle East peace process would help both leaders, with Mr Abbas suffering from the conflict with Hamas and Mr Olmert losing popularity in Israel over his handling of the war with Lebanon this summer. | Correspondents say a breakthrough in the stalled Middle East peace process would help both leaders, with Mr Abbas suffering from the conflict with Hamas and Mr Olmert losing popularity in Israel over his handling of the war with Lebanon this summer. |
| Expected to be on the agenda at the meeting is an easing of Israeli travel restrictions on Palestinians and the removal of a number of checkpoints in the West Bank. | Expected to be on the agenda at the meeting is an easing of Israeli travel restrictions on Palestinians and the removal of a number of checkpoints in the West Bank. |
| Palestinian officials have also been pushing for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, but Israel has said before that it will not even consider the issue unless the captured soldier Gilad Shalit is released first. | Palestinian officials have also been pushing for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, but Israel has said before that it will not even consider the issue unless the captured soldier Gilad Shalit is released first. |