Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    RAMALLAH, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are serious and in-depth but controversy dominated all the issues on the negotiations table, a Palestinian negotiator said on Thursday.

    The negotiator Saeb Erekat called for "supportive measures for the negotiations to boost the chances of making a comprehensive peace treaty before the end of this year."

    Reinforcing a newly Egyptian-brokered ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in Gaza Strip, releasing prisoners and allowing the return of West Bank exiled activists can help pushing the talks, Erekat said.

    The U.S. mediated in resuming the peace negotiations at a conference it hosted in November. Since then, the negotiations failed to make any progress due to the continuation of Israeli settlement constructions in West Bank.

    Erekat urged Israel to carry out its obligations in the U.S.-backed Road Map peace plan which paves the way for a peace deal allowing the creations of a Palestinian statehood alongside Israel.