On July 30, Israelis and Palestinian negotiators, Tzipi Livni and Saeb Earakat held the first peace talks in three years in Washington under US-mediated efforts with the objective to reach an agreement on all issues within nine months.

Israel and the Palestinians will resume their talks on August 14 in Jerusalem, the US State Department said.

“Negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians will be resuming August 14 in Jerusalem and will be followed by a meeting in Jericho, in the West Bank,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.

On July 30, Israelis and Palestinian negotiators, Tzipi Livni and Saeb Erakat, held the first peace talks in three years in Washington under US-mediated efforts with the objective to reach an agreement on all issues within nine months.

Psaki said US envoys Martin Indyk and Frank Lowenstein will travel to Jerusalem to help “facilitate” the negotiations.

“(US State) Secretary Kerry does not expect to make any announcements in the aftermath of this round of talks,” she specified.

In the meantime, in a letter to John Kerry, the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said Israel’s latest settlement construction announcements were “an indication of Israel’s bad faith and lack of seriousness” in the talks.

Israel said this week it had given preliminary approval for the construction of more than 800 new homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Psaki said Washington had taken up the issue with the Israelis.

“The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement activity and opposes any efforts to legitimize settlement outpost,” she said.

“The Secretary has made clear that he believes both the negotiating teams are at the table in good faith and are committed to making progress,” she added.

On Thursday, John Kerry and national security adviser Susan Rice met with Jewish community leaders at the White House to update them on the resumption of talks and hear their concerns. Another meeting will be held Friday with leaders from the Arab-American community, Psaki said.

According to people familiar with Thursday’s meeting, Kerry outlined a five-track approach for the negotiations with the Israelis and Palestinians: security, economics, international outreach, public outreach, and direct talks between the parties. He also praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, saying they were the right people to make a deal.

Kerry did address Israel’s new settlement plans, but he suggested he did not want to let the development derail the talks. The people familiar with the meeting insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the meeting by name.

Separately, Israel is to free 26 Palestinian prisoners on Tuesday, a day before negotiators meet in Jerusalem. It would be the first of four groups of a total of 104 prisoners to be freed during the next few months following a decision of the Israeli government. Many of the prisoners were responsible for terror attacks that killed and maimed Israelis

The Almagor Terror Victims Association against freeing the prisoners filed a petition to the Israeli High Court of Justice to overturn the government to release the 104 Palestinian prisoners.

In a response to a petition filed by the Almagor Terror Victims Association against freeing the prisoners, many of whom were responsible for terror attacks that killed and maimed Israelis, the State Prosecution told the court that it had rejected such petitions in the past and in general refrained from intervening in diplomatic issues.

The prisoners are slated for release as a gesture of goodwill to the Palestinians in the framework of the resumption of peace talks.

On Thursday, John Kerry and national security adviser Susan Rice met with Jewish community leaders at the White House to update them on the resumption of talks and hear their concerns. Another meeting will be held Friday with leaders from the Arab-American community, Psaki said.

According to people familiar with Thursday’s meeting, Kerry outlined a five-track approach for the negotiations with the Israelis and Palestinians: security, economics, international outreach, public outreach, and direct talks between the parties. He also praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, saying they were the right people to make a deal.

Kerry did address Israel’s new settlement plans, but he suggested he did not want to let the development derail the talks. The people familiar with the meeting insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the meeting by name.