Jerusalem - Ma'an/Agencies - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to proximity talks with Israel, following the proposal of US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell, Israeli media reported on Monday.

According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, senior Palestinians had confirmed to the daily that Abbas has agreed, in principle, to the US suggestion of indirect talks.

Last week, Abbas said he would consult with Arab allies before responding on Thursday Mitchell's call for proximity talks, according to the British daily The Guardian, which said Abbas indicated that he may be prepared to accept.

"If there is any substance in the response from the Israeli side – for example, if they accept the framework of a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders and an end to occupation, with timelines and mechanisms – then there will be progress," Abbas said.

Following a visit to the region at the end of January, Mitchell suggested that indirect talks mediated by the US could assist in the resumption of peace talks between Israel and Palestinian sides.

Convening in Cairo

Secretary-General of the Office of the President At-Tayyib Abdul Rahim said on Thursday that Palestinian delegates would begin talks Friday in Cairo and participate in a series of consultations with delegates from around the Arab world as well as representatives from the office of the Quartet.

These talks, he said, would assist the Ramallah based leadership in examining Mitchell's suggestions to restart the peace process.

Direct Talks

Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority were brought to an abrupt halt following Israel's commencement of Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip.

Although proximity talks could signal a move toward resuming peace talks, Abbas and the PA have remained adamant that direct talks will only be achieved when Israel enforces a settlement halt across the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. Abbas had further called for a three-month Israeli construction standstill at the beginning of February, which he said, could prompt the Palestinian side to return to the negotiation table.

"These are not preconditions, they are requirements in the road map. If they are not prepared to do that, it means they don't want a political solution," he said told The Guardian.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos "I want to reach direct talks with the Palestinians ... I have no problem with proximity talks or indirect negotiations. I look at this as a ladder that will enable the Palestinians to climb down from the tree, and as a corridor that will lead to high-level talks," Haaretz reported.

On Sunday, Netanyahu told his cabinet that "Israel aspires to complete peace agreements with all of its neighbors ... We did this with Egypt and Jordan, and we aspire to achieve similar agreements with both the Palestinians and Syria."