国际英语新闻：Israeli, Palestinian leaders relaunch direct talks in Washington

On Wednesday, after holding bilateral meetings with the four other leaders involved in the Middle East peace process, Obama said that the United States is ready to seek a lasting peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.

However, the peace talks, since it first started in 1993, have always been in the haunting cycle of "hope-to-collapse."

The issue of settlement construction has posed an immediate challenge to the direct talks, with Netanyahu on Tuesday saying he would not extend a moratorium that expires on Sept. 26.

Incitement from both sides, such as the killing of four Israelis on Tuesday by a gunman near the West Bank city of Hebron, could also derail the fragile peace process.