Kerry to Talk with Netanyahu after Abbas Meeting

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was to hold talks Saturday evening with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after earlier discussing ways to push a new peace plan with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Public radio said Netanyahu and Kerry will have a first round of private talks and then will be joined by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who is also to head peace talks with Palestinians.

Netanyahu's personal envoy Yitzhak Molcho and his national security adviser Yaakov Amidror will also attend the second part of the meeting, alongside Kerry's team, the public broadcaster said.

Earlier on Saturday, Kerry met Abbas in the Jordanian capital.

"Kerry and Abbas discussed possible steps to revive a new political process for peace," Palestinian ambassador in Amman Attallah Kheiry told Agence France Presse.

"Abbas stressed that Israeli settlements endanger the peace process and that Israel should free Palestinian prisoners."

Kerry accompanied Obama on a four-day visit to the region, during which the two met top Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Jerusalem and Ramallah.

During his visit Obama did not bring to a visible breakthrough in the impasse between the Israelis and Palestinians, who have not been engaged in direct talks for over two years.

Kerry will be Obama's new pointman on the Middle East, as part of the renewed U.S. efforts to push the sides back to negotiations.

Palestinian-Israeli peace talks have been deadlocked for more than two years.