Palestinian leader Mahmound Abbas said he is ready to work with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hopes that the Arab League will approve this week the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.
The announcement came after U.S. mediator George Mitchell spent three days in the region in a bid to restart Israeli-Palestinian dialogue, which stalled more than a year ago.
"On behalf of the Palestine Liberation Organization I say that we are ready for negotiations," Abbas said.
He added that on May 1 he will submit with the Arab League a proposal to begin indirect negotiations with Israel for approval.
"I hope the reply will be positive," Abbas said.
Israel has called on the PNA to resume peace talks immediately and without any preconditions.
Palestinians, however, cite ongoing Israeli settlement construction in the occupied territories as a main obstacle to the peace process.
Under the internationally agreed roadmap for Middle East peace, Israel is obliged to freeze all settlement construction activity and remove unauthorized outposts built since 2001 from Palestinian territories.
TEL-AVIV, April 27 (RIA Novosti)
