Egypt: Abbas received American assurances

President Mahmoud Abbas has received American assurances over the future of the peace process with Israel, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said Thursday.

Speaking to Egyptian TV Thursday morning, Abul Gheit said a series of letters from the American administration were "conveyed to the Palestinian side within the past few days."

He said Arab officials were waiting for a Thursday afternoon meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas "to see what Abu Mazen [Abbas] will present."

The assurances, Abul Gheit explained, were with regard to the general framework of any negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian officials as well as "elements that govern the future of the settlements."

Abbas, backed by the Fatah party and other PLO factions, has said Palestinian negotiators will not move forward to direct talks with Israeli officials unless progress is made in proximity talks. The issues set forth in the preliminary discussions were borders - from Palestinian officials - and security, put forward by Israel.

A report from The Associated Press said US President Barack Obama threatened to pull out support for a Palestinian state if negotiators did not move forward with direct talks.

According to Palestinian officials, however, not only has there been no progress on the issues in the proximity talks, but the conditions put forward by Palestinians demanding a halt to settlement construction have not been met sufficiently.

On Thursday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it would be "impossible" to extend a freeze on settlement construction in some areas of the West Bank, which was put in place in March 2009 for a period of 10 months.

The partial and temporary measure was unilateral, did not include Jerusalem, and allowed for the continued building of settlement infrastructure like roads and public buildings.

Palestinians negotiators have said that a settlement freeze is essential ahead of talks, as it indicates Israel's seriousness in its intent to realize a state on the 1967 borders. Settlements are constructed on lands expected to come under Palestinian control under any agreement.