US Secretary of State John Kerry says Israel and the Palestinians have agreed to resume direct peace talks for the first time in three years.
Announcing the news in Jordan on Friday, Mr Kerry gave no details but said initial talks will be held in Washington "in the next week or so" between chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and Israel's Tzipi Livni.
As part of the agreement, Israel has agreed to a long-standing Palestinian demand to release Palestinian prisoners. Israeli finance minister Yuval Steinitz says he doesn't want to give numbers but some will be heavyweight prisoners who have been in jail for tens of years.
Mr Kerry, who has paid six visits to the Middle East in recent months in an effort to restart talks, thanked the Arab League, which on Thursday gave its backing to his plan for resumed talks, saying that had made an "important difference".
The BBC reports that the last round of direct talks broke down more than two years ago over the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and it remains one of the biggest stumbling blocks between the two sides.
The Palestinians have previously demanded that any talks be on the basis of the borders in place from 1949 to 1967, when Israel seized the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
