Islam Times - Abbas: We are committed to peace

Islam Times - President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday that US Secretary of State John Kerry proposed useful and constructive suggestions to return to negotiations.

Abbas said he met with Kerry three times in recent days, and he will return to the region next week. They discussed issues related to the Israeli-Palestinian relations, he added.

"We are committed to peace with Israelis. They are our neighbors, we recognize that, and we should live with them in stability and security," Abbas said in a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta.

"We tell them that time is gold, time is crucial in the current circumstances in the region."

Responding to a question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu's willingness to "sit in a tent for peace," Abbas said that "We do not need a tent to meet. I have my home and he has his, we can meet in our homes."

He added: "There is nothing stopping us from meeting at any time."

Abbas also said he was "optimistic because Kerry is serious and persistent to reach a solution. We hope that the time comes soon when we return to the negotiating table."

A day earlier in Washington, a State Department spokesman said that "there's been progress" in Kerry's efforts to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table but he declined to name any specific breakthrough.

"We made some real progress, and with a little more work, we believe the start of final status negotiations could be within reach. ... there are some wide gaps at the beginning that have narrowed considerably," Patrick Ventrell told reporters without elaborating.