A senior Palestinian official says Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet next week with Israel's new vice prime minister in an effort to restart long-stalled peace talks.

Saeb Erekat told Voice of Palestine Radio on Thursday that Abbas would meet with Israel's Shaul Mofaz in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday.

Mofaz spokesman Imri Mazor said efforts were being made to arrange a meeting but he did not specify a date.

Negotiations have been frozen for more than three years because Palestinians refuse to resume talks unless Israel ends settlement construction on land they claim for a future state.

Israel wants talks to start without any preconditions and says all issues should be resolved through negotiations.