US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas today.
The meeting comes ahead of a Middle East peace conference planned for next month.
After her first round of talks with Israeli leaders yesterday, State Department officials indicated the conference, called by President Bush, might have to be postponed.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Ms Rice that a statement of principles would be not be a condition for proceeding with the conference, but Palestinians said they would not attend the gathering without a meaningful document that covers the main issues.
Those issues are borders for a Palestinian state and the extent of Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank, sharing Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees.
AP