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Rice on last leg of Mid-East tour Rice on last leg of Mid-East tour
(about 3 hours later)
The US secretary of state is holding a final day of talks with Israelis and Palestinians at the end of an intensive round of Middle East diplomacy.The US secretary of state is holding a final day of talks with Israelis and Palestinians at the end of an intensive round of Middle East diplomacy.
Condoleezza Rice is to meet Israeli PM Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem and will also hold more talks in Jordan with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Condoleezza Rice has met Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem and will hold more talks in Jordan with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Sunday agreed a series of steps to ease Palestinians' lives in the West Bank.Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Sunday agreed a series of steps to ease Palestinians' lives in the West Bank.
Israel pledged to remove about 50 roadblocks in the territory.Israel pledged to remove about 50 roadblocks in the territory.
In return, Palestinians promised to step up their efforts to "prevent terror".In return, Palestinians promised to step up their efforts to "prevent terror".
Ms Rice is trying to re-energise the peace process, which was re-launched following a US-sponsored conference in Annapolis in November. What we have to do is to have meaningful progress toward a better life for the Palestinian people, for economic viability for Palestinians Condoleezza Rice
After four months of peace negotiations - which have produced few visible results - Ms Rice is claiming some progress, the BBC's Jon Brain in Jerusalem says. Ms Rice also held a three-way talks with top Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurei and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
The secretary of state is trying to re-energise the peace process, which was re-launched following a US-sponsored conference in Annapolis in November. It is her second visit to the region in the less than a month.
After four months of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations - which have produced few visible results - Ms Rice is claiming some progress, the BBC's Jon Brain in Jerusalem says.
Although some 50 road blocks will be removed by Israel, more than 500 others will remain in place, our correspondent says.Although some 50 road blocks will be removed by Israel, more than 500 others will remain in place, our correspondent says.
He also adds that the peace talks continue to be overshadowed by the split among the Palestinians between Mr Abbas' Fatah party and Hamas, which preaches the destruction of Israel. "What we have to do is to have meaningful progress toward a better life for the Palestinian people, for economic viability for Palestinians even as we move for the establishment of a state," Ms Rice said.
'No settlement freeze'
Our correspondent adds that the peace talks continue to be overshadowed by the split among the Palestinians between Mr Abbas' Fatah party and the militant Islamist group Hamas, which advocates the destruction of Israel.
Meanwhile, the Israeli campaign group, Peace Now, says Israel has not stopped a single construction project in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank since peace talks were re-launched in November.
It says there is almost nothing left of a promise to freeze construction.
The Israeli government says it never promised a total settlement freeze.