Senior aides to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met early last week in an attempt to set up a summit between the two leaders.

The meeting, held in preparation for U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit to the region, did not bear fruit and no follow-up meeting was scheduled. Likewise, no date has been set for an Olmert-Abbas meeting.

The meeting was attended by the prime minister's chief of staff Yoram Turbovicz, the prime minister's political advisor Shalom Turjeman, Abbas' bureau chief Rafik el-Husseini, and senior Abbas aide Saeb Erekat.

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According to political sources in Jerusalem, both sides were interested in holding such a meeting prior to Rice's arrival in the area.

The Israeli representatives proposed a "meeting with no preconditions," and rejected the option of freeing Palestinian prisoners prior to such a meeting. They stated that Israel would not release prisoners prior to the return of kidnapped Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit.

Erekat confirmed having participated in the meeting with Olmert's aides and that the meeting bore no meaningful achievements.

"I hope we will eventually be able to bring about a meeting between the two leaders, on the condition that it will be prepared well," Erekat told Haaretz.

The aides' previous bilateral meeting was held on July 11, the day before the Lebanon war broke out. They have since maintained contact by phone.