A U.S. official says the Obama administration’s special Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell will return to the region this week to continue urgent efforts to break a deadlock in negotiations over Israeli settlements.
AP interactive
http://hosted.ap.or…" onclick="window.open(this.href,'popup','height=615,width=765,scrollbars,resizable'); return false;">View a graphic of the Israeli offensive conflict
The official said Mitchell will leave on Tuesday for meetings with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators after Israel defied U.S. and international demands to extend a slowdown on settlement construction in the West Bank. The slowdown expired on Sunday and the Palestinians had been threatening to walk out of talks if it was not extended.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations but the State Department was expected to formally announce the trip later Monday.
Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
Thank you for coming to the Web site of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. We're working to keep you informed with the latest breaking news.