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Itongadol.- US Secretary of State John Kerry and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone about the possibility ofrestarting peace talks with the Palestinians and a fourth prisoner release, Palestinian media reported on Monday.
According to a report in the London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi, Netanyahu did not respond positively during the conversation, and therefore Kerry told Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that he is cancelling his scheduled visit to the region next week.
A Palestinian source also said that on the heels of the cancelled visit, a Palestinian delegation, including chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and the head of Palestinian Intelligence, Majid Faraj, will travel to Washington on Tuesday to present to Kerry a new Palestinian initiative.
According to reports, the Palestinian Authority will delay their applications to the UN Security Council and international organizations if an agreement is reached within four months.
A Palestinian delegation is set to arrive on Monday in Cairo, headed by PLO official Mustafa Barghouti, in order to talk with Egyptian officials about the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. They will also discuss the restart of the peace talks, including the possibility of a sea and airport in Gaza and a fourth prisoner release.
Next week, Abbas is expected to present the progress of the visit to Washington to the Arab League foreign minister.