US Middle East envoy George Mitchell arrived on Monday evening for two days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, even as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was coming under increased pressure from Palestinians to refuse to enter direct talks with Israel.

Mitchell, whose arrival was not announced until nearly the last minute, was scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. He is then expected to meet with Abbas afterward, and to leave the region on Wednesday.

Both Israeli and US diplomatic officials have been saying for days that Mitchell was delaying his visit until there was something to talk about.

His arrival on Monday, however, was not being interpreted by those same officials as an indication that Abbas had finally decided to agree to the launching of direct talks.

"I don't feel comfortable" saying that his arrival indicates a breakthrough, one Israeli official said. "It might be possible that they will get something out of Abbas, but I wouldn't hold your breath."

Abbas has come under a great deal of pressure from the US, as well as from Arab countries such as Egypt, Jordan and now even Saudi Arabia, to renew direct talks - but so far, he has not budged.

Diplomatic sources said that if the circumstances warranted it, Mitchell could, during his current visit to the region, travel to Egypt and Saudi Arabia to discuss the matter.

Meanwhile, representatives of dozens of Palestinian factions and organizations on Monday warned Abbas against succumbing to pressure to open direct talks unconditionally.

They claimed that Israel was planning to exploit the negotiations "to cover up for its practices, including the Judaization of Jerusalem, continued settlement construction and the completion of the racist separation fence."

They also warned that entering direct talks under the conditions set by the US administration would "save Israel from the international campaign of boycott and condemnation."...