Palestinian leadership to discuss Quartet's call for Israeli talks resumption

The executive committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) will gather on Thursday to discuss an appeal of the Quartet of Middle East mediators to resume Palestinian-Israeli talks, local media reported. The committee's meeting will be presided by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and is expected to result in the final decision on the continued debates. Last week, the Quartet - the UN, Russia, European Union, and the United States - released a statement urging Israelis and Palestinians to return to direct talks within one month. The statement came after Abbas formally asked the UN to recognize a Palestinian state. Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke off in September last year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly in New York last week that the Palestinian statehood could only be achieved through talks with Israel.