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 Abbas planned to push for a halt in Israeli settlement activity, seek an easing of roadblocks and other travel restrictions on West Bank Palestinians, and urge Israel to reach a cease-fire with Hamas, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said.
"We hope that the meeting will be businesslike," he said.
Israeli officials declined to discuss their agenda ahead of the meeting but said they hoped to push forward with substantive talks during the meeting at Olmert's official residence in Jerusalem.
With U.S. backing, the two men have pledged to reach a final peace deal by the end of the year. But it remains unclear how much progress they have made.
Negotiating teams have met dozens of times in recent months, and officials privately say that all key issues are under discussion. But there have been few visible signs of change on the ground. Israel continues to build in Jewish settlements, it has done little to improve Palestinian living conditions in the West Bank and the Hamas militant group, which regularly attacks Israeli targets, remains firmly in control of the Gaza Strip.
Olmert and Abbas formally relaunched peace talks last November at a summit hosted by President Bush in Annapolis, Md. Their talks are supposed to be based on the "road map," a U.S.-backed peace plan that sets a series of stages meant to lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
As initial obligations, the road map calls on Israel to halt all settlement activity and for the Palestinians to dismantle militant groups.
But since the Annapolis conference, Israel has announced plans to build hundreds of new homes in the West Bank and east Jerusalem
-- areas claimed by the Palestinians for their future state. Abbas has repeatedly condemned the construction.
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At the same time, Hamas militants have fired dozens of rockets into
southern Israel from Gaza. Israel has warned that it will not carry
out any peace agreement until Abbas regains control of Gaza. Hamas
violently seized control of the coastal strip last June after
routing Abbas' forces there.
Israel launched a broad offensive in Gaza in late February in
response to especially heavy rocket fire. The offensive, which
killed more than 120 Palestinians, including dozens of civilians,
prompted Abbas to suspend his regular biweekly meetings with Olmert.
Monday's meeting was the first between the men since Feb. 19.
During a trip to the region late last month ,U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice persuaded Israel to begin lifting some of the
hundreds of checkpoints and roadblocks it maintains in the West
Bank.
Israel says it has taken down one permanent checkpoint and
removed some 50 unmanned roadblocks. But the Palestinians say more
has to be done.
Israel says the travel restrictions are needed to deter
Palestinian attackers. The Palestinians, and the international
community, have said the roadblocks are excessive and stifling the
Palestinian economy.
[Associated
Press; By JOSEF FEDERMAN]
Copyright 2008 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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