US Secretary of State John Kerry indicated that Israeli settlers in the West Bank may not have to leave their homes under the terms of a potential peace agreement.

It was reported last month that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office had floated the idea that under a peace accord, settlers could be given the choice of remaining in their homes under Palestinian rule or relocating to Israeli sovereign territory. The idea was sharply criticised by Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett, sparking a coalition crisis. However, in exerts from an interview onChannel Two to be aired in full this evening, Kerry was asked what price a settler would pay for a peace agreement and answered, “I’m not at all certain that he is going to have to leave his home.”

Kerry is expected to present an eagerly-awaited framework plan for final status talks to both Israeli and Palestinian leaders during the coming weeks, which it is hoped will lay the foundations for negotiations on core issues. Netanyahu will visit the White House next month, while yesterday Kerry met with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas in Paris. US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said it was “an appropriate time” for Kerry and Abbas to meet because, “We are at an important point in the negotiations where we are engaged with narrowing the gaps between the parties on a framework for negotiations.”

Maariv reports this morning that Israel’s lead negotiators, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Isaac Molcho met yesterday with US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and US envoy Martin Indyk, to discuss the terms of the framework plan.

Meanwhile, Israel Army radio suggested yesterday that the United States will ask Israel to implement an informal construction freeze in isolated West Bank settlements after Kerry presents his framework plan. The report said that “the framework will not be enough to convince Abu Mazen [Abbas] to remain at the negotiating table.” There was no comment from Israel officials.