Rice: Creation of Palestinian State Coming

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the creation of a Palestinian state is approaching, but cautioned that Israel's plans for more West Bank settlements are hurting negotiations.

Rice spoke Friday after meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.

Rice has acknowledged that an Israeli-Palestinian agreement will not be reached by a target date of year's end, but said efforts will continue in the administration of president-elect Barack Obama next year.

Rice has been also meeting with several Israeli leaders, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak today.

Rice will return to the West Bank for more talks Saturday. She is now in Israel and will fly to Jordan this evening for dinner with Jordan's King Abdullah. She will hold meetings Saturday and Sunday in Egypt with other envoys of what is known as the Mideast Quartet -- Russia, the U.N. and the E.U. -- negotiating regional peace, as well as the foreign ministers of several Arab nations.

In violence Friday, Israeli military officials said suspected Palestinian militants fired two rockets from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, but did not cause any damage or casualties.