Palestine, January  24, 2010, ( Pal Telegraph) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he heard "interesting ideas" from Special US envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell regarding the resumption of peace negotiations with the Palestinians.

Minutes after meeting envoy George Mitchell, Netanyahu reaffirmed at the weekly cabinet session his intention, also voiced by previous Israeli prime ministers, to retain major settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank in any peace deal.

"Today I heard some interesting ideas for renewing the (peace) process," the Israeli leader told his ministers, according to Reuters. "I also expressed my hope that these new ideas will allow for the renewal of the process. Certainly if the Palestinians express a similar readiness, then we will find ourselves in a diplomatic process."

Mitchell, U.S. President Barack Obama's Middle East envoy, told Palestinian leaders on Friday they must resume talks with Israel if they want the U.S. help to achieve a peace treaty that creates a Palestinian state.

However, the Palestinian party insists on a complete halt to settlement construction before the resumption of peace process