The U.S. administration is preparing obligations that Middle East parties should observe to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a Palestinian negotiator said on Saturday.

Saeb Erekat said Israel is mainly required to freeze its settlement activities in the West Bank under the new obligations, adding that the Palestinians have more obligations as well without giving further details.

"The package of obligations would also involve the Arab states and the international Quartet," said the senior Palestinian peace negotiator, referring to the observation grouping that comprises the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations.

According to Erekat, all the obligations, including those required by the Arab states, are inspired by the Road Map peace plan which Washington launched in 2002.

In its first phase, the Palestinians were asked to halt attacks against Israel and to carry out a series of financial and organizational reforms in the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

The Palestinians went ahead with their commitments at some points, while Israel has failed to freeze the settlement, reopen the PNA institutions in East Jerusalem or withdraw its forces from the territories occupied after the outbreak of the second Palestinian uprising in 2000.
The PNA refuses to resume peace negotiations with Israel unless the Jewish state freezes and removes all settlements built in the occupied territories after 2001.