Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has said he is ready to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert without preconditions.
Pressure is mounting on the two leaders to hold talks as soon as possible in an effort to restart the stalled Middle East peace process.
Yesterday, Mr Olmert said that he was also ready to hold talks to revive the peace 'road map'.
The international quartet, the EU, Russia, the UN and the US, launched the so-called road map in 2003. The blueprint, which calls for a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel, has made next to no progress since its inception.
Following the Hamas election victory in March, the Israeli government cut nearly all diplomatic contacts with the Palestinians.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who arrived in the region yesterday, has urged Israelis and Palestinians not to miss what he called the 'window of opportunity' to revive the stalled talks.
Hamas rejects conditions
Following a meeting with Mr Abbas, Mr Blair said that if Palestinians succeeded in forming 'a national unity government', the West would deal with such an administration.
Following the Hamas election victory, all direct aid to the Palestinian government was cut.
But Hamas has rejected any conditions set by the West for the resumption of ties with its government.
Hamas spokesperson, Sami Abu Zuhri, said everything possible was being done to 'lift the siege against the Palestinian people', but said this would not be done 'at the expense of Palestinian principles and rights'.
