President Mahmoud Abbas met Palestinian political leaders in Ramallah to agree on a stance after settlement building resumed this week.
"The leadership confirms that the resumption of talks requires tangible steps, the first of them a freeze on settlements," said senior Palestinian official Yasser Abed Rabbo.
After the meeting in Ramallah, President Abbas's spokesman said consultations with US mediators would continue.
The Palestinians are not expected to make a final decision until after an Arab League meeting due to take place in Libya next week.
Meanwhile, US envoy George Mitchell is visiting Arab countries in an attempt to secure wider backing for continued peace negotiations.
Israel refused to extend a 10-month ban on settlement building in the West Bank which expired last Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said a further freeze could fracture his right-wing coalition government, which is dominated by pro-settlement parties, including his own Likud bloc.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Middle East war of 1967. About 500,000 Jews now live in more than 100 settlements which are held to be illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this. About 2.5 million Palestinians live in the West Bank.
The Islamist movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and is not taking part in the talks, has urged Mr Abbas to withdraw.
Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians resumed in September after a break of nearly two years.
|
|