"All issues have been discussed and others are in need of more discussion. …We have not yet reached an agreement but intensive efforts are being made in this regard," Mr Abbas’ adviser Nabil Abu Rdainah told reporters after the talks.

It was the first time the two leaders have resumed talks after weeks of cancellation due to different points of view.

The talks came hours after a Palestinian woman blew herself up in Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip, where Israeli troops have been operating for the past six days in a bid to curb cross-border rocket attacks. It was the first suicide bombing since April and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the bombing.

As many as 57 people have been killed and 220 others wounded since Israel launched the operation early this month. Palestinian leaders have many times condemned the operation and called on the international community to intervene to prevent and protect Palestinians.

In a statement released on November 6, the Arab League Council strongly condemned the escalated Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip and called on the Quartet of Middle East peace brokers (the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia) to take immediate action to ease the situation.

Meanwhile, the group of Arab countries at the United Nations urged the global body to hold an urgent meeting to discuss the escalated violence in the Gaza Strip. According to Palestinian observer at the United Nations Riyad Mansour, Arab countries require an international resolution to stop clashes in the Gaza Strip and deploy an international force in the area to monitor the implementation of the resolution.