Arab foreign ministers back Israeli-Palestinian peace talks

Arab nations have backed indirect peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis, which could pave the way for the start of long-stalled US-brokered negotiations.

The US proposed the talks to end the impasse over the conditions for resuming negotiations, which broke down more than a year ago amid Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The green light from Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo, Egypt, comes after a first attempt to get indirect talks going collapsed in March when Israel announced a new Jewish housing project in east Jerusalem.