ISRAEL AND PALESTINE have resumed their peace talks in Sharm al-Sheikh today, as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described the discussions as “a moment of great opportunity”.

Clinton has travelled to oversee the second face-to-face meetings between Israeli and Palestinian leaders since talks resumed two weeks ago, being chaired by Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, and has said the “time is ripe” for agreement to bring peace to the region.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will begin the meetings with a bilateral exchange with Mubarak, before meeting Clinton and then holding a tripartite meeting with Clinton and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

The talks will then relocate to Jerusalem where they will continue later in the week.

The talks could hit an early stumbling block, however, with Netanyahu insisting that Israel will not extend its 10-month embargo on building new settlements for Israelis in the West Bank area.

Palestinian representatives had previously said they would walk away from the talks if Palestinian communities in the West Bank had their homes bulldozed while discussions were taking place.