BICOM

US Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday that the pace of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) has increased.

Talks resumed in July following intensive diplomacy by Kerry, with Justice Minister Tzipi Livni heading Israel’s negotiating team. The talks aim to reach a peace agreement within nine months, but few details of their progress have been publicised. Speaking yesterday in Paris after briefing members of the Arab League on the peace talks, Kerry said that “The two parties have been engaged now in thirteen meetings – serious meetings. They had three meetings in the last four days.” He added, “All the core issues are on the table. And they have been meeting with increased intensity.”

However, Kerry cautioned that “It is no secret to anybody that this is and remains a difficult process.” Nonetheless, he credited leaders on both sides, commenting “The Israeli and Palestinian people both have leaders who absolutely understand what is at stake and they have taken risks to bring both parties to the table.” Kerry also praised the Arab League for its support for the talks and in particular Qatar which yesterday agreed to provide the PA with £93 million in debt relief.

Kerry is scheduled to meet Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Rome tomorrow for talks, which are expected to cover both the peace negotiations and the international diplomatic efforts to deal with Iran’s nuclear programme.

Meanwhile, Maariv reports this morning that next Tuesday, Israel could release the second of four groups of long-term Palestinian prisoners, as part of an agreed gesture which paved the way for the resumption of peace talks this summer. Yediot Ahronot speculates that some of the prisoners would be sent to the Gaza Strip. Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office would not confirm the reports but said that a public notice would be published before any prisoner release takes place. Israel released the first group of twenty six prisoners in August.