US Secretary of State John Kerry flew into Israel last night for his third visit in the space of two weeks.
He met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, as part of a fresh US bid to restart negotiations between Israel and Palestine.
Mr Abbas told Secretary Kerry that the release of 4,500 or so prisoners held by Israel was a "top priority" for resuming failed peace talks.
A senior US official described last night's talks, which took place after a week marked by clashes between Palestinian youths and Israeli security forces in the West Bank, as "a constructive meeting".
Today, after taking part in a wreath-laying to mark Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, Mr Kerry is to hold separate talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and Israeli President Shimon Peres.
Tomorrow, he meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before flying to London for a Group of Eight foreign ministers' meeting.
He will then fly to Asia for talks in South Korea and China.
