Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas meets with two senior US envoys before US President delivers speech on US policy

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas met Wednesday with two senior US envoys a day before US President Barack Obama delivers a speech on US policy in the Middle East.

A statement from Abbas's office said he had briefed Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Jeffrey Feltman on a unity deal between his Fatah party and Hamas.

Abbas also stressed peace talks with Israel could not resume without a halt to Israeli settlement construction and a principles to guide negotiations, the statement published by the official news agency WAFA said.

"Abbas said that the Israeli's government's refusal to stop settlement building and to determine clear references for the peace process were the reason that talks stopped."