US President Donald Trump and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed confidence on Wednesday that a Middle East peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians could be forged with the help of the United States.
"I think we have a pretty good shot, maybe the best shot ever," Trump said as he sat down for talks with Abbas on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Trump, who met on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pledged to "do everything within my heart and within my soul to get that deal made."
Abbas thanked Trump for his seriousness on the issue and his effort "to achieve the deal of the century, during this year or in the coming months."
Trump has tasked his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner and envoy Jason Greenblatt with leading US efforts on the peace process and they have made several trips to the region to meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials.
In 2014, the Israeli government halted peace negotiations, led by the United States, in response to a new unity government formed by Fatah and Hamas, which was dissolved shortly after.
US President Donald Trump reaches to shake Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's hand before a meeting at the Palace Hotel during the 72nd United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.
