American envoy George Mitchell said on Sunday he hoped to wrap up a deal over the next few days in talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on a settlement freeze and a revival of peace talks. "While we have not yet reached agreement on many outstanding issues, we are working hard to do so, and indeed the purpose of my visits here this week is to attempt to do so," Mitchell said following his meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres.
Mitchell meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday and holds talks the next day with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
"There is still work to be done," Netanyahu told reporters before flying to Cairo for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. "Progress has been made on some issues and there are certain things in which we have yet to make progress."
According to Reuters, Netanyahu stated he hoped he and Mitchell would be able to "narrow the gaps and perhaps to bridge them" in order to move forward in what he termed the "diplomatic process".
During the meeting with Netanyahu, the Egyptian leader urged Israel to stop all settlement activities and called to resume talks with Palestinians, state news agency MENA reported.
A statement from Netanyahu's office said the men "discussed the challenges facing the region and the need for all sides -- Israel, the Palestinians, Arab states and the international community -- to contribute their part to advancing the peace process."
