The Quartet of Middle East mediators called on Israelis and Palestinians to return to the negotiating table based on a new time-line, by which a final status agreement to end the conflict would be reached by December 2012.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a strong statement in support of the new initiative by the group, made up of the UN, the EU, the US and Russia.

“The US is very pleased that the Quartet was able to issue a statement with a detailed and concrete proposal to begin negations without delay or preconditions,” said Clinton.

“The Quartet proposal represents the firm conviction that a just and lasting peace can only be achieved through negotiations between the parties,” she said.

“We urge both parties to take advantage of the opportunity to get back to talks,” she said.

The Quartet issued its statement shortly after the Palestinian Authority appealed to the United Nations to grant them full membership in the United Nations, The Jerusalem Post reported.