15/08/2013 14:06
First direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks held in Jerusalem
The first direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in three years have been held in Jerusalem, officials say.
Both sides confirmed that the meeting - cloaked in secrecy - had ended late on Wednesday after several hours, the BBC reports.
A senior Israeli official described the talks as "long and serious" but no statement was published.
The meeting began hours after Israel freed 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of the deal to restart the stalled negotiations.
Few details have been released about the location, timing or agenda of the talks and both sides have been cautious about achieving any breakthrough.
A Palestinian official quoted by AP news agency said they had agreed to meet weekly, alternating between Jerusalem and the West Bank town of Jericho.