Direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians began on July 29, 2013 following an attempt by United States Secretary of State John Kerry to restart the peace process. As a prelude to the talks, Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian prisoners, including militants who threw firebombs, in one case at a bus carrying children; stabbed and shot civilians, including women, elderly Jews and suspected Palestinian collaborators; and ambushed and killed border guards, police officers, security agents and soldiers. The negotiations take place in Washington, DC.[1] Martin Indyk was appointed by the Americans to oversee the negotiations. Currently at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., during the Clinton administration he served as US ambassador to Israel, and was assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs.[2] The negotiations were scheduled to last up to nine months to reach a final status to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict by mid-2014. They started in Washington, DC[1] and will then move to the King David Hotel in Jerusalem and then to Hebron.[3] In July 2013, Israel announced as a "good will gesture" that it would be releasing 104 Palestinian prisoners, all of whom have been in Israeli jails since before the 1993 Oslo Accords. Israel then stated that it would be releasing the prisoners slowing throughout the negotiations rather than before the negotiations. Commenters have however pointed out that Israel had already promised to release these same 104 Palestinians, back in 1999, but never did. Critics also worry that Israel will simply quietly re-arrest the potentially released Palestinians, and state that Israel is using the slow release to hold the negotiations hostage and that the main goal of the release is to bolster Israel's image.[4] Israel was accused by Palestinian officials of trying to sabotage the peace talks by approving nearly 1200 new settlement homes shortly before the negotiations were due to start. It is well known that these are an obstacle for the Palestinians as they are on Palestinian land and are illegal under international law. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev dismissed the criticism.[1] The British Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said: "We condemn the recent decisions taken by the Israeli authorities to advance plans for 1096 settlement units in the West Bank, and to approve the construction of 63 new units in East Jerusalem. Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, undermine trust and threaten the viability of the two-state solution." [2] On 13th August Israel approved another 900 settler homes in East Jerusalem addition to the 1200 settlements announced on the 10th. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Israeli-Palestinian_peace_talks

• published: 29 Aug 2013
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