Tel Aviv, May 05, SPA -- The Israeli and Palestinians leaders willdiscuss Israeli settlements and roadblocks in the West Bankat a summit Monday, a Palestinian official said, two issuesgiven prominent mention by U.S. Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice during her latest diplomatic mission inthe region. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and PalestinianPresident Mahmoud Abbas were to meet at Olmert's Jerusalemresidence on Monday afternoon, only hours after Rice'sdeparture, for the latest in a series of sessions meant topush forward peace talks. With U.S. backing, the two menhave set a year-end target for reaching a final peace dealto end 60 years of conflict, the Associated Press reported. On Sunday, Rice made unusually direct remarks about theconsequences of Israeli construction and roadblocks in theWest Bank, saying she «continues to raise with theIsraelis the importance of creating an atmosphere that isconducive to negotiations.» «That means doing nothing, certainly, that would suggestthat there is any prejudicing of the final terms» of adeal setting up a separate Palestinian state in the WestBank, Rice said. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Monday's talkswould include a broad look at how the negotiations areproceeding. He also said Abbas would urge the Israelis tocurb settlement activity and lift many of the militarycheckpoints they have erected throughout the West Bank. Abbas has sounded increasingly pessimistic in recentweeks. He says continued settlement construction on landsthe Palestinians claim, and Israel's refusal to removeroadblocks and ease other travel restrictions areundermining the negotiations.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/552802