Palestinian President Mr Yasser Arafat today called on Israel's new government to resume peace talks.
"We are ready to immediately resume the negotiations which we had started with the previous government," Mr Arafat said in a speech to the Palestinian Legislative Council.
"Let the negotiations over the permanent status (peace agreement) be resumed from the point it had left off," he said. "This is the only efficient and logical way to reach a clear security formula and a strong basis for coming agreements."
There was no immediate reaction to Mr Arafat's call from the government of Israeli Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon, who has insisted that the five-month-old Palestinian uprising end before peace talks resume.
Mr Sharon has rejected proposals discussed between the Palestinians and his predecessor, Mr Ehud Barak.