Bethlehem – Ma’an – Middle East Envoy for the United States George Mitchell announced his arrival in the region Thursday, where he will meet with Israeli officials and resume efforts to kickstart peace talks between Israel and Palestinians.

Mitchell will meet with President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday, alongside members of the Palestinian leadership.

In Israel Mitchell will meet the country's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shemon Peres, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and leader of the opposition Tzipi Livni.

The envoy will address recent concerns in Israel expressed by Peres, who warned Abbas that continuing the negotiations deadlock could lead to a third intifada. He told Israel's daily paper Haaretz that by insisting on a halt to settlement construction and delaying peace talks, Abbas was "playing with fire."