Israel and the Palestinians began high-level diplomatic talks today after Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon lifted a freeze on such contacts in response to a lull in Palestinian militant attacks.
Political sources said Mr Sharon's top diplomatic adviser, Mr Dov Weisglass, was meeting in Jerusalem with Palestinian Negotiations Minister Saeb Erekat.
Mr Sharon had previously restored limited talk on co-ordinating security arrangements for Israel's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip later this year.
Earlier, Mr Erekat said he had been in contact with Israeli counterparts for at least the past week, but urged the Jewish state to focus any new negotiations on reviving the internationally-suppoprted "road map" to ending more than four years of fighting.
"We call upon the Israelis to unconditionally return to the negotiating table so both sides can implement their commitments stated in the road map, beginning with the cessation of violence," Mr Erekat said.