His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday was briefed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the latest developments in direct Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations.

Abbas said if Israel continues settlement activities, it would would bear sole responsibility for a collapse in peace talks.

King Abdullah reiterated Jordan's support for Palestinians in their efforts to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-state solution, saying this requires an end to all unilateral Israeli measures, particularly settlement construction, which jeopardises prospects for the establishment of an independent state for Palestinians.

The King stressed the need to intensify international peace efforts, calling on the US to assume a leading role in removing obstacles to the continuation of direct peace talks, which are geared towards achieving a two-state solution as soon as possible. He added that if the talks fail, the entire international community will pay the price of the resulting tension and war.

The King and Abbas pledged to maintain consultations between the Jordanian and Palestinian leaderships and to coordinate with all Arab countries and the international community in order to achieve the Palestinians' legitimate rights to freedom and statehood.

Abbas said in remarks to the press that the meeting aimed at coordinating stands with Jordan. He added that Israel's refusal to extend a moratorium on settlement construction in the occupied West Bank is an obstacle to continuing negotiations and that the Palestinians will coordinate their next move with the Arab states.

“There will be an Arab summit to discuss many issues,” Abbas said, referring to a planned emergency meeting of the Arab League Follow-up Committee on the peace talks to be held in Sirte, Libya, later this week.

“For sure we will not stop communications with the Americans,” he added. “We will continue these communications with them to explore solutions to the problem of Israeli settlements, which should stop before we return to the negotiations.”