RAMALLAH - The Palestinian Authority on Sunday started diplomatic steps to hold an international conference at the beginning of 2021 for the peace process with Israel, a senior official said.

The Palestine mission to the United Nations has begun the preliminary steps with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and some countries to prepare consultations for the international conference, Riyad Mansour, permanent observer of Palestine to the United Nations, told the official Palestinian radio Voice of Palestine.

According to Mansour, the consultations will be held by the European Union and permanent members of the UN Security Council.

On Sept 25, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the United Nations to help arrange an international conference for peace in the Middle East to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"The Palestinian-Israeli conflict must be resolved on the basis of the international law and the international legitimacy resolutions," Mansour said.

"The Palestinians are looking forward to establishing their independent state on the borders of 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital," he added.