Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Paris on Sunday as diplomatic efforts intensified hours before the expiration of an Israeli settlement construction moratorium.
IDF chief warns Israeli-Palestinian violence could flare up if peace talks fail, while PA President Abbas says Palestinians will quit negotiations if settlement construction resumes.
Remark by Russia defense minster comes amid reports that Israeli officials, including PM Netanyahu and Defense Minister Barak, had reportedly warned arms could be used by Hezbollah.
Mitchell says current round of direct negotiations progressing more seriously and quicker than those he brokered in Northern Ireland in the 1990s; Israeli sources guarded over Mitchell's optimism regarding settlement issue.
British trade unions on Tuesday backed a boycott of goods from Israeli settlements, saying popular brands were making profits on the back of oppression.
