Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat announced on Friday that the U.S. would declare its position concerning the guarantees to the Palestinians over resuming the talks with Israel in two days, Xinhua reported.
U.S. special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell held talks earlier on Friday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah to pave the way for launching the proximity talks with Israel.
The meeting, which lasted for one hour and a half, between Abbas and Mitchell ended without statements made by Mitchell to reporters.
A well-informed Palestinian source said the Palestinian leadership would give its final answer to starting the proximity talks with Israel on Saturday, after the meeting of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee.
"The talks between Abbas and Mitchell focused on the efforts exerted to resume the proximity talks," Erekat told reporters after Mitchell left Ramallah, without giving a specific time for the kick off of the talks.
Erekat went on saying that during the meeting, discussion of several issues had been concluded, adding "it was agreed to hold another meeting on Saturday and a third meeting on Sunday morning. "
"What we have heard that the talks would resume soon are just ideas, where it is still premature to set up a date for it. The decision to start the talks will be taken after the meetings of the PLO executive committee and Fatah movement's central committee on Saturday."
Erekat said that "Israel must implement its commitments, such as halting settlement activities, stopping daily arrests and reopening the Palestinian institutions in east Jerusalem.
"Such actions are Israeli goodwill gestures and Israel must respect these commitments," said Erekat.
Asked about earlier Israeli officials' statements, which expected a failure of the talks, Erekat told reporters "we are astonished of this manner, to make their judgment in advance before the talks start."
"The Palestinian side is eager to succeed the efforts of U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. envoy Senator Mitchell. Everyone knows what we want; we want a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, halting settlement and releasing the Palestinian prisoners," said Erekat.
He added that "Israel should chose, whether it wants peace or settlement."
Erekat also referred to the U.S. guarantees, adding "the U.S. will declare its position concerning these guarantees within the coming two days. They listen to us and we listened to them."