U.S. envoy George Mitchell has begun a second round of indirect peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians focusing on a border deal.
Mitchell met May 19 with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank, and was to hold talks later in the week with Israeli leaders.
The talks were launched earlier this month, and Mitchell is to shuttle between the two sides for up to four months to try to narrow vast differences on the terms of Palestinian statehood.
Abbas aide Saeb Erekat says the new round of talks will focus on borders and security. The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted the idea of a Palestinian state, but with many strings attached and without east Jerusalem. — ap