New meeting between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators

The Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met again on Sunday night, in Jerusalem, in the absence of the American mediator Martin Indyk, said a Palestinian official to AFP.

The meeting between the heads of Palestinian negotiators Saeb Erakat, Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, and Special Envoy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yitzhak Molcho began at 18.00 local time in Jerusalem, said the official.

No confirmation was obtained from the Israeli side, which will celebrate the Hebrew Passover starting this Monday.

The two sides have multiplied gestures of hostility since Israel refused to release, on March 29, the fourth and last group of prisoners, demanding peace negotiations extension after April 29.

The last meeting between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators held on Thursday in the presence of U.S. envoy Martin Indyk, did not result in progress. Since then, Indyk returned to Washington for 'consultations', the spokesperson of the Department of State, Jennifer Psaki, saying that the diplomat "will return to the region next week."