White House: “Direct Talks Possible After Progress”

Saturday July 03, 2010 18:38 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

A senior White House official stated that although it is early to determine when will direct Israeli-Palestinian talks take place, some progress was made that would likely lead to this outcome.

Daniel Shapiro, Middle East Advisor to President, Barack Obama, stated that proximity talks achieve some progress, and that the gaps between the two positions have been reduced.

Shapiro added that it is still difficult to set a time for the resumption of direct talks.
The White House official further said that Netanyahu and Obama will discuss the necessity to move to direct talks, and intend to hold talks on regional security, bilateral relation, and what they called “recent policy shift towards Gaza”.

Israel insists on maintaining the deadly siege on the coastal region but decided to allow certain materials and supplies into Gaza, yet the supplies allowed through are not sufficient to elevate the suffering of the residents, especially the patients.

The latest casualty of the Israeli siege on Gaza is Mohammad Khader, 7 months. His death brings the toll of patients who have died due to the siege up to 374.

He had swelling in his brain and needed specialized treatment, while hospitals in the Gaza Strip lack basic equipment and supplies due to the ongoing illegal Israeli siege.

Netanyahu and Obama will be holding talks in Washington this coming week. The two would hold talks on the so-called temporary settlement freeze while U.S officials said that Washington is concerned that the ongoing settlement activities and home demolitions in Jerusalem would jeprodize all efforts to resume peace talks.

international | peace process | news report saed at imemc dot org