Obama presses for Middle East peace

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He has also pushed Palestinians for progress, deepening his involvement in the Middle East peace process.

"I am confident that we can move this process forward," Mr Obama said after meeting Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas at the White House.

Mr Obama said that meant both sides must "meet the obligations that they've already committed to" - an element of the peace effort that has proved elusive for years.

After the session with Mr Obama, Mr Abbas said no meetings with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu were on the horizon. He said there were no preconditions just "obligations" on Israel, through the so-called road map, for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Mr Abbas said he was meeting his commitments under the road map and that Israel should do the same.

Earlier, Israel rejected blunt US requests to freeze Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank, a territory that would make up the Palestinian state, along with the Gaza Strip, as part of a broader peace deal.

In strong language, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton had said Mr Obama wanted a halt to all settlement construction, including "natural growth" - a term used by Israel for new housing and other construction that it says will accommodate the growth of families living in existing settlements.

Israeli spokesman Mark Regev responded by saying some construction would go on.

Mr Obama said he had pressed Mr Netanyahu on the settlement matter last week at the White House and that the Israeli leader needed to work through the issue with his own government.