His Majesty King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday underlined the need for the international community to prevent Israel from scuttling peace talks.

At a meeting in Aqaba, the two leaders said Israel's continued settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, is an obstacle to peace efforts.

They also exchanged views on how best to ensure the quick launch of negotiations that guarantee the rights of the Palestinians as well as how to stand up to Israel's unilateral measures.

King Abdullah underlined the importance of Arab and international support for the Palestinian Authority and President Abbas in their efforts to realise Palestinian aspirations for an independent state, stressing the immediate need for negotiations towards a permanent peace in accordance with international resolutions and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.

The two leaders also said it is important that the US play a leading role in peace negotiations, both in launching these talks and in ensuring that all final status issues are addressed within a specific time frame that leads to the creation of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state.

They warned that wasting the opportunity at hand to realise peace would threaten the stability and security of the entire region.

The King and Abbas also discussed the ongoing efforts to start Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations based on the two-state solution in light of US Special Envoy George Mitchell's recent visit to the region.