The presidents of Israel and the Palestinian Authority have made a rare joint appearance before a foreign legislature, pledging to put an end to ongoing conflict in the troubled region.

The Turkish capital, Ankara, is hosting the Israeli and Palestinian presidents. The two leaders are meeting with their Turkish counterpart and the prime minister. The visit comes ahead of an expected peace summit in the United States.

Israel is to release more than 400 Palestinian prisoners in a goodwill gesture before an upcoming U.S.-sponsored peace conference, Prime minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday.

Israel will set a precondition that the Palestinians recognise it as "a Jewish state" during negotiations after the US sponsored Middle East peace conference in Annapolis, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said.

An independent group of Palestinian and Israeli religious leaders, meeting in Washington, has launched an initiative to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The group says it hopes to counter extremism by facilitating dialogue among the region's moderate voices.

A petition against giving up any part of Jerusalem to Palestine was sighed by a majority of Israel’s lawmakers.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she has been "encouraged" by talks during her tour of the Middle East despite "tensions" between Israelis and Palestinians.

Jerusalem is emerging as a major stumbling block in new peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, both Jews and Muslims are claiming the city's holy sites as their own.

Middle East envoy Tony Blair has returned to the region for another round of shuttle diplomacy. The visit is part of a stepped-up effort by the international community to revive the peace process.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his parliament he won't be deterred from seeking a peace deal with the Palestinians despite the need for painful concessions, warning that failure would mean a "demographic struggle steeped in blood and tears."

Israeli and Palestinian leaders will hold another summit meeting on Wednesday in a bid to advance the peace process. But despite some signs of progress, serious differences remain.

Israel and the Palestinians could sign a peace deal within six months of an international peace conference scheduled for November, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas says.