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               Israel, PNA End First Session of Peace Talks

Negotiation teams from Israel and the Palestinian National Authority on Wednesday noon formally kicked off the first round of peace talks, which was aimed to reach a permanent deal by the end of 2008.

The meeting was kept low-profile, as the originally scheduled photo opportunity for the media was canceled due to a Palestinian protest against the latest Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni leads Israel's team in the talks and the PNA delegation is headed by former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei.

Aryeh Mekel, spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said earlier in the day that the meeting would be the starting point of the Mideast political process.

The two sides will focus on the framework of the negotiations, and the establishment of separate subcommittees for each of the core issues to be discussed, said Mekel.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged that he would take advantage of the opportunity that the Nov. 27 Annapolis summit had created to reach a historic breakthrough with the Palestinians.

Addressing a business conference in Tel Aviv, Olmert said the opportunity to make peace with the Palestinians had many uncertain components, risks and dangers, but "it is impossible to ignore them."

But the ongoing talks, the first peace attempt by the two sides since 2000, went into trouble even before it started, as Palestinian officials said Israel's recent plan of settlement expansion and latest military operation in Gaza could endanger the peace process.

On Tuesday, Israel launched a day-long large-scale incursion in Gaza, during which eight Palestinian militants were killed.

Israel said the offensive was just routine operation aimed at preventing Palestinians from launching Qassam rockets and mortar shells against southern Israeli communities, but the Palestinians doubted Israel's intention by carrying out the operation just one day before the negotiations.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman accused Israel of trying to thwart final-status negotiations before they could be started.

"The Israeli government's determination to continue the offensives, assassinations and expanding settlements boosts the doubts about the Israeli intentions regarding the negotiations," spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh told reporters.

"It is difficult to go on with the negotiation process under the assassinations, deliberate killing, land confiscation and other procedures that don't suit the spirit of the peace process," he added.

In addition, the dispute over the Har Homa settlement expansion also overshadowed Wednesday's talks.

On Dec. 2, Israel Land Administration published tenders for building 307 new housing units in the settlement of Har Homa, which the Palestinians call Jabal Abu Ghuneim.

The plan has drawn wide criticism from the Palestinians, Arab states, European countries and even the U.S.