Top Israeli and Palestinian officials held talks overnight amid renewed efforts to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table after more than 11 weeks of deadly violence, Israeli radio reported Sunday.
There was no immediate confirmation from Israeli or Palestinian officials about the meeting, which the radio said lasted three hours.
The Israeli negotiating team was led by Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben Ami, who met Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Thursday night in a move that has paved the way for a resumption of dialogue.
It also included Gilad Sher, Prime Minister Ehud Barak's bureau chief.
The Palestinians were represented by top negotiator Saeb Erakat, information minister Yasser Abed Rabbo and Gaza Strip preventative security chief Mohammed Dahlan.
The meeting came as US President Bill Clinton was making efforts to host an Israeli-Palestinian peace summit before he leaves office on January 20.
Clinton spoke by telephone with Arafat for 45 minutes "on the ways to save the peace process and restart negotiations before President Clinton's term ends," Arafat adviser Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP.
But the White House said that while the outgoing president was trying to help restart talks, there was nothing on the table -- JERUSALEM (AFP)
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