ME summit efforts 'deadlocked'

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday efforts to arrange a summit with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert were being hindered by the issue of Palestinian prisoners.

Speaking at a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Mr Abbas said preparations for a long-awaited meeting with Mr Olmert were still underway but he gave no time frame.

Mr Olmert had been expected to free a large number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails as a gesture to Mr Abbas, but that was put on hold when militants abducted a soldier, Gilad Shalit, in a cross-border raid from Gaza in June.

"Everything has stopped because Israel is linking the release of prisoners to the release of (Mr) Shalit," Mr Abbas said.

"The meeting with (Mr) Olmert hinges on the release of prisoners and since there are no prisoners to be released, the meeting is obstructed."

Meanwhile Mr Abbas yesterday said he had to make a decision soon on the future of the Hamas-led government.

Mr Abbas has suggested he would sack the government and said talks on forming a unity coalition with the Islamist movement were dead over its refusal to soften its stance towards Israel.