Peace talks with Palestinians would take months, Israeli official says

New Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, if resumed, would take months, an Israeli official said on Friday after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced the sides had laid the groundwork for negotiations.

“We are talking about months, both to ensure the process is substantive and comprehensive, and to get us past September,” the official said, on condition of anonymity.

The official was referring to the annual U.N. general assembly in September, where the Palestinians had, in the absence of direct diplomacy, considered lobbying for recognition of their claim of statehood in Israeli-occupied territory.

Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Alison Williams