Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Friday said that a negotiated peace agreement could be achieved with Israel in less than a year.
"I am convinced that within less than a year, we will be able to sign an agreement," Abbas was quoted as saying in an interview with the Tel Aviv-based Haaretz newspaper.
According to him, as head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation he would conduct the talks with the Israelis, bypassing the Hamas-led cabinet.
Abbas added he had already discussed with Washington and former Israeli premier Shimon Peres, the idea of opening talks that would effectively bypass Hamas.
