JERUSALEM, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. and EU envoys are in the Middle East to try to salvage Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, diplomats said.
Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy leader, met with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in the West Bank, then went to Jerusalem to meet Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, while U.S. envoy George Mitchell also crisscrossed the region, the BBC reported.
"We are determined to continue our efforts to find common ground between the parties to enable the direct negotiations to continue," Mitchell said.
Palestinian leaders say they will walk away from the talks unless Israel extends its partial freeze on settlement building in disputed areas in the West Bank. Netanyahu said his right-wing coalition could break if the construction freeze, which expired on Sunday, is extended.
Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, isn't participating in the talks but has urged Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to withdraw from negotiations.
Palestinian officials indicated a decision about whether to pursue talks with Israel would be made after a meeting of Arab leaders in Cairo Wednesday.
