In Israel, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has concluded her talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. It marked the first high-level talks in four years. The talks come just a week after the Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah agreed to form a coalition government. Even before the talks began, Israeli officials dismissed the new Palestinian government.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni: “The agreements between Fatah and Hamas unfortunately … and before the formation of the future Palestinian government, the understandings doesn’t meet the requirements of the international community. It is crucial to understand that Israel, with the international community, expects any Palestinian government to meet these requirements fully and completely.”