JERUSALEM
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Israel on Monday for another round of Israeli-Palestinian talks, only weeks before an April 29 deadline for negotiations.
The chief U.S. diplomat is expected to hold talks with officials in both Israel and the Palestinian territories.
According to Israel Radio, Kerry is expected to pile pressures on the Palestinian Authority to extend the talks by six months.
Kerry cut short his visit to Rome last week to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman to try to convince the latter to extend the ongoing talks beyond the April deadline.
On Saturday, Israel failed to fulfill an earlier promise to free a fourth batch of Palestinian prisoners.
"There won't be any deal without Israel knowing clearly what it will get in exchange," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said later.
According to Israeli media reports, the Israeli government has proposed the release of 1000 additional Palestinian detainees in return for extending the negotiation deadline.
Under a U.S.-brokered deal, Israel had promised to release 104 prisoners held in Israeli jails since before the signing of the 1993 Oslo peace accords. In return, Palestinian negotiators promised not to push for statehood at the United Nations.
Israel has already freed 78 prisoners in three phases. A fourth group of prisoners had been due for release on Saturday, but this never materialized.
U.S.-brokered talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators resumed in Washington last summer after a nearly three-year pause.
During a January visit to the region, Kerry presented both sides with a proposed framework for an eventual deal that addresses so-called "final-status" issues – namely, borders, security, the fate of Palestinian refugees and the status of Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem).
By Anees Barghouthy
englishnews@aa.com.tr
