In Washington, the U.S. State Department has said that negotiations between Israel and PA leaders will resume on August 14, 2013, Reuters reported.
During last month’s negotiations mediated by the U.S. in Washington, both sides were in agreement to settle their differences in the coming months. There have been no negotiations for nearly three years.
State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters that the negotiations will be held in Jerusalem followed by another meeting held in Jericho.
She stated that US Secretary of State John Kerry "does not expect to make any announcement in the aftermath of this round of talks." Kerry was the host of last July’s meeting for negotiation.
During the last meeting, Israeli negotiator Tzipi Livni and PA counterpart Saeb Erakat held two days of face-to-face dialogue in the US capital and promised to quickly resume talks in their divided region.
Key points of the negotiations will be of the status of the city of Jerusalem and of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. Last week, PA chief Mahmoud Abbas said that at the end of negotiations, he intends that "there will not be one soldier or settler on our lands." The PA has stated numerous times that there wlil be no deal unless Israel surrenders most of Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem.