Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas held a surprise meeting today ahead of Mr Abbas's visit to Washington for talks with US president George W. Bush.
The negotiations, led on the Israeli side by foreign minister Tzipi Livni and on the Palestinian side by Ahmed Qurie, have been bogged down by differences over Israeli settlement expansion and violence in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
Both sides are trying to meet a US goal of a Palestinian statehood deal before Mr Bush leaves office in January, but differences remain over what that accord might entail.
Mr Abbas wants a full-blown agreement this year but Mr Olmert says he wants to reach statehood "understandings" that would be implemented later.
Today's meeting came as a surprise because it was held so soon after the leaders met on April 7th. This latest meeting had been expected to be held later in the week.
Mr Abbas is expected to meet Bush at the White House on April 24th, Palestinian officials said.
After last Monday's Abbas-Olmert talks, Abbas aide Saeb Erekat described differences over building in Jewish settlements, especially around Jerusalem, as "very deep".