Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Thursday played down US-backed hopes of a peace deal with the Palestinians by the end of this year, saying that a premature agreement could trigger new violence. "There is some kind of expectation of doing something before the end of the year," she said.
"I believe that the timeline is important but what is more important is the content and the nature of the understanding that we can reach with the Palestinians," Livni said, according to AFP. "I think any attempt to bridge gaps which might be premature to bridge or any attempt to reach something which is not the comprehensive agreement we want to reach can lead... to clashes, this can lead to misunderstandings, this can lead to violence," she stressed.
"Until everything is agreed, nothing is agreed," said Livni, who heads the Israeli negotiating team in the peace talks. She also acknowledged that even if an agreement is reached, it might not be implemented as long as Hamas controls the Gaza Strip.
"The question of how long it should be on the shelf depends not on our willingness but on the situation on the ground," said Livni.
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