By Agencies

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The Arab League has declined to endorse an immediate resumption of direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, saying it needs further guarantees from the United States before approving talks.

The Arab League said at a meeting in Cairo on Thursday that it agreed in principle to the direct talks, but only subject to certain "measures and conditions".

"There is agreement, but [it is] agreement over the principles of what will be discussed and the manner of the direct negotiations," Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, the Qatari foreign minister, said.

Amr Moussa, the Arab League secretary-general, said that direct negotiations must be preceded by "written guarantees" from the United States, particularly on the subject of Israeli settlements.

"We are not against negotiations," Moussa said. "But... we cannot accept talks with no preconditions."

'Written assurances'

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, travelled to the Egyptian capital on Thursday to discuss the issue with the Arab foreign ministers.

Abbas wants a guarantee that the Israeli government will completely halt settlement construction in occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Israel is currently nearing the end of a 10-month moratorium on new settlement construction in the West Bank, which is set to expire in September.

Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, warned on Wednesday that his government will collapse if he extends the freeze.

Settlement construction in east Jerusalem continues unabated.

"When I receive written assurances [about] accepting the 1967 borders and halting settlement [building], I will go immediately to the direct talks," Abbas said before the Arab League meeting.

Letter to Obama

Moussa said on Thursday that Barack Obama, the US president, sent a letter to Abbas including "some guarantees".

He did not reveal the contents of the letter, however, and said the Arab League had further questions for Obama, which were included in a letter sent to the US embassy in Cairo.

Direct talks have been suspended since Israel's three-week war in Gaza began in December 2008.

The Arab League meeting comes the day after Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah met in Sharm al-Shaikh to discuss the Arab-Israeli "peace process".