The diplomat was to make a personal plea for the two sides to resume peace talks even as US officials acknowledged they saw little prospect for an immediate breakthrough. She arrived in Abu Dhabi in the early hours Saturday after completing a three-day visit to Pakistan.

President Barack Obama had hoped for a fast track to renewed peace negotiations, but Ms Clinton reported to him on October 22 that neither side had taken sufficient steps toward resuming the dialogue.

Ms Clinton has indicated that Israel has eased Palestinians' freedom of movement and expressed a willingness to curtail the building of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian areas. However, the Obama administration is demanding an end to all new settlement construction, something which the Israelis have refused.

Secretary Clinton intends to consult with a range of Arab foreign ministers on the Israel-Palestinian stalemate when she attends an international conference in Morocco on Monday and Tuesday.

AP