An Israeli defense official says Defense Minister Ehud Barak is to hold a second round of talks with U.S. special Mideast peace envoy George Mitchell next week in an effort to resolve differences between the two sides on Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity as neither Israel
or the U.S. has made a formal announcement. He said the meeting was
expected to take place in London on Monday, less than a week after
Barak and Mitchell met in New York.

The U.S. wants settlement construction halted completely to
restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Israel's insistence that
building within existing settlements be allowed has been an
irritant in its relations with President Barack Obama's
administration.