Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that direct talks with the Palestinians are likely to start within the next few weeks, according to a statement sent to Xinhua.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) meets with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at the UN Headquarters in New York, the United States, on July 7, 2010. [Shen Hong/Xinhua]

"It appears that direct talks will begin in mid-August, but this has not been confirmed, and we will become clear in the next few day," Netanyahu said at the weekly cabinet session.

"I now call upon Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) to make a courageous decision in order to start peace talks with Israel," Netanyahu said.

However, Netanyahu added, "there is no change in settlement freeze conditions," referring to a 10-month unilateral moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank due to end in late September, which has become a thorny issue within Israel's right- of-center government.

The Israeli prime minister had said a continued freeze would be politically hazardous and would topple the coalition, when meeting with visiting Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos of late.

Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak, have been urging the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to resume direct negotiations instead of the current proximity talks now handled by U.S. special Mideast envoy George Mitchell.

U.S. President Barack Obama recently also asked Abbas to get back to face-to-face talks with Israel.

Palestinian leaders have so far refused to reenter direct talks precisely due to the issue of renewed settlement construction.

Chief PNA negotiator Saeb Erekat said the Palestinians had offered Mitchell a comprehensive peace plan, but Netanyahu said he had not received such a proposal yet.

"We gave (Mitchell) maps and papers that clearly state our positions on all the final-status issues, borders, Jerusalem, refugees, water and security," Erekat said.