Kerry Says Israel-Palestinian Gaps Narrowing

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday that Israelis and Palestinians are getting closer to resuming peace talks.

"Through hard and deliberate work, we have been able to narrow those gaps very significantly," Kerry told a press conference.

"We continue to get closer and I continue to be hopeful that the two sides will come to sit at the same table," he added, after talks in Jordan with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Arab envoys.

Kerry, who spent hours locked in marathon meetings with both Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his last visit late last month, declined to go into details on the substance of the talks.

"There is still some language that needs to be worked out," he said.

"I would caution everybody to resist the temptation to speculate.

"The easiest bet has always been on predicting impasse."