Mideast negotiators to meet in Jerusalem

Mideast negotiators will hold talks in Jerusalem today after Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian leaders pledged to work to renew the peace process.

The meeting of envoys from the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia – known as the Quartet – will be the first since the Islamic militant Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip two weeks ago. The Quartet is expected to name outgoing prime minister Tony Blair as a senior negotiator to the region, it was reported yesterday.

A spokeswoman for the British Embassy in Israel, Karen Kaufman, said the Quartet meeting would take place this morning at the US consulate in west Jerusalem.

Yesterday’s summit at an Egyptian resort on the Red Sea was meant to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas whose Western-backed Fatah party was severely weakened when rival Hamas took over the Gaza Strip.

The leaders committed to work for the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that have been effectively stalled since 2001.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged at the meeting to release 250 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and “substantially” improve Palestinian movement in the West Bank by lifting roadblocks. He said he would hold “frequent meetings” with Mr Abbas’ new government.