Middle East peace 'in a year'

Israeli and Palestinian leaders have held their first direct negotiations in nearly two years, in Washington. The US Middle East envoy said the talks, between Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, had been "constructive."

Both sides have agreed to meet again in the Middle East in two weeks, according to BBC News.

As the talks opened, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Mr Abbas and Mr Netanyahu they had the "opportunity to end this conflict."

Mr Netanyahu said painful concessions from both sides would be needed. Mr Abbas called on Israel to end all settlement construction and lift the blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The talks at the US state department, the first such negotiations in 20 months, began with a pledge of "full and active support" from the US. They had been initiated by US President Barack Obama, who gave them a one-year deadline.

He has said the goal is a permanent settlement that ends the Israeli occupation of territory captured in 1967, and an independent, democratic Palestinian state existing peacefully beside Israel.

"Mr Prime Minister, Mr President, you have the opportunity to end this conflict and the decades of enmity between your peoples once and for all," Clinton said. "The core issues at the centre of these negotiations - territory, security, Jerusalem, refugees, settlements and others - will get no easier if we wait, nor will they resolve themselves."

Speaking after Mrs Clinton, both Mr Netanyahu and Mr Abbas acknowledged the difficulty of the task ahead. "This will not be easy," Mr Netanyahu said. "True peace, a lasting peace, will be achieved only with mutual and painful concessions from both sides."

Mr Abbas said: "We do know how hard are the hurdles and obstacles we face during these negotiations - negotiations that within a year should result in an agreement that will bring peace."

The leaders also raised two of the issues that are central to the talks: security for the Israelis, and Jewish settlement construction on Palestinian territories.

"We call on the Israeli government to move forward with its commitment to end all settlement activities and completely lift the embargo over the Gaza Strip," Mr Abbas said.