Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas met Tuesday in Jerusalem, for the latest in a series of talks aimed at defining an agenda for an upcoming international summit on Middle East peace. Abbas headed into the talks warning that the planned conference would be pointless if it failed to address the core issues of Palestinian statehood - borders, refugees and Jerusalem.
"If there is a clear framework including final status issues, we will welcome this and go to the conference," Abbas told Voice of Palestine radio.
He pressed Israel to be more specific on how it plans to approach peace talks, saying Olmert's proposed declaration of principles would not suffice. The PA leader had also voiced concern Monday that the summit would be a "waste of time" if it limited itself to a "declaration of principles."
David Baker, an official in the Prime Minister's Office, said Tuesday's talks would center on "the development of Palestinian governing institutions, bolstering Abbas' government and issues concerning Israelis and Palestinians living side-by-side."
Meanwhile, a Palestinian rocket directly struck a home in the western Negev town of Sderot on Tuesday lightly wounding one Israeli person. The armed wing of Fatah, Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, claimed responsibility for the strike.
