Palestinian Leader Sees No Alternative To Peace Talks

Offering a positive note after two days of inconclusive Mideast peace negotiations, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday he sees no alternative to continuing the talks in search of a peace deal with Israel.

"We all know there is no alternative to peace through negotiations, so we have no alternative other than to continue these efforts," Abbas said, speaking through an interpreter during a welcoming ceremony for visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

It was not clear whether Abbas was suggesting that the Palestinians would remain committed to the talks even if Israel does not extend a curb on Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank beyond the end of this month. He had previously said the talks could not survive without continued restrictions on the construction in areas the Palestinians want for a future state.

Clinton and Abbas met at the Palestinian Authority's headquarters in the West Bank.

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Abbas thanked the Obama administration. "I know that [] this time is difficult and the circumstances are difficult, but the Americans are exerting active efforts to achieve this peace," he said.

Clinton reiterated her determination to find compromise solutions. The United States is "committed and determined to work for a peace agreement through negotiations that leads to an independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian state that realizes the aspirations of the Palestinian people," she said.