国际英语新闻：Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks likely to kick off on Saturday or Sunday: source

RAMALLAH, May 7 (Xinhua) -- An official source expected on Friday that the U.S. proposed proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinians are likely to kick off on Saturday or Sunday, after being approved by Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)'s executive committee.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that the proximity talks with Israel won't start before being approved by the PLO executive committee during a meeting to be chaired by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Saturday.

As part of uNPRecedented U.S. pressure to resume the stalled peace process, U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell, who is in the region and has held two separate talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since Wednesday, will meet Abbas later on Friday evening.

Hana Amera, a member of the PLO executive committee, told Xinhua that the PLO committee will most likely approve the start of the proximity talks after the Arab League (AL) foreign ministers committee had earlier this week renewed its support to start the talks.

"The Americans guarantee that there will be no more provocative measures carried out by Israel that would undermine the talks with the Palestinians, which would certainly encourage the Palestinian side to accept to go for proximity talks with Israel," said Amera.

However, he warned that "if Israel resumes its provocative actions, mainly the expansion of settlements in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem, and keeps carrying out other security measures against the Palestinians, the talks will be immediately halted."

Meanwhile, Yasser Abed Rabbo, the PLO executive committee member, said on Saturday that the Palestinian leadership will convene "to say its final word," adding "the leadership will brief Mitchell on its decision that they are ready for talks and for discussing the final status issues."

Although shape and mechanism of the proximity negotiations are still vague, Abed Rabbo said if things go as planned, "I think the talks will got back to the right track."