Close aides to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas say they have received backing from Arab governments to take over crossing points and borders in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Egypt. VOA's Jim Teeple reports from Jerusalem.

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas arrived in the United States late on Saturday to take part in an international Middle East peace conference that opens Tuesday in Annapolis, Maryland.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made the first explicit demand for overthrow Gaza's Islamic Hamas rulers.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says her talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders have convinced her that both sides want the upcoming U.S.- sponsored Mideast peace conference to succeed. VOA's Jim Teeple reports Secretary Rice has traveled to the occupied West Bank for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and other Palestinian leaders.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with Hamas leaders on Friday for the first time since the Islamist group ousted his forces and took control of the Gaza Strip in a bloody conflict in June.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held a rare meeting on Friday with members of the Islamic group Hamas, four months after Hamas militants defeated his own forces and took over the Gaza Strip.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice traveled to the West Bank town of Ramallah to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The talks focused on a document on Palestinian statehood to be presented at an international peace conference in the United States, possibly in November.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will meet on Tuesday in Jerusalem to prepare the ground for the November's peace summit.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday dialogue with Hamas is only possible if the radical Islamist group gives up control over the Gaza Strip.

Ehud Olmert on Monday will become the first Israeli prime minister to visit a Palestinian city since the outbreak of fighting seven years ago, meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Jericho to discuss the creation of a Palestinian state.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reaffirmed his support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is visiting Moscow. Mr. Putin Tuesday said Russia views Mr. Abbas as the legitimate leader of the Palestinian people. The Russian leader said he is sure Mr. Abbas will do everything in his power to restore unity to the Palestinians.

Russia supports Mahmoud Abbas as the legitimate Palestinian leader and is willing to discuss with him assistance to Palestinians, the Russian foreign minister said Monday.