The US president, George Bush, is to call for an international conference to bring together representatives of Israel and some of its Arab neighbours, in an attempt to restart Middle East peace talks, it was reported today.

The Associated Press said it had learned that Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, would lead the conference, which would include representatives of Israel and “neighbours in the region”.

Mr Bush was to speak later today at the White House about the peace summit and about US financial and diplomatic support for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and Fatah leader.

Mr Abbas controls only the West Bank after armed supporters of Hamas took control of Gaza in June.

Shimon Peres, the former prime minister of Israel, took over as the country’s president yesterday and vowed “to pursue peace within Israel and with our neighbours”.

But Israel has refused to deal with the elected Hamas government until it renounces violence and agrees to recognise Israel’s right to exist.

President Bush was instrumental in the appointment of the former British prime minister Tony Blair as Middle East peace envoy, to work with the Palestinians on behalf of the quartet of world powers: the US, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia.

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