Obama gathers Abbas and Netanyahu at White House

Karachi News.Net
Wednesday 1st September, 2010

US President Barack Obama is hosting Israeli-Palestinian leaders in Washington in an effort to promote a peace agreement.

Mr. Obama in bilateral meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is preparing the men for official direct negotiations later this week.

President Obama will also meet with Jordan's King Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, whose countries have, in the past, made peace deals with Israel.

Meanwhile, Palestinian and Israeli leaders alike have denounced the murder of four Israeli settlers who were killed in a drive-by shooting in the West Bank on Tuesday.

The armed wing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.

Palestinian security forces have arrested more then 200 people with suspected Hamas links in overnight raids in the West Bank to try to get leads on the killings.

Since the killings, Israeli settlers groups have said they will resume settlement construction to protest against the violent attack.

Up to now, a temporary freeze on settlement building had been holding.

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