Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas chairs a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to discuss the fate of 26 veteran Palestinian prisoners who Israel was to have freed this weekend under terms of an agreement which brought about a resumption of talks on March 31, 2014 in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The Palestinians say they will not even consider extending the talks without the prisoners being freed, but Israel has refused to release them without a Palestinian commitment to continue the talks, prompting a fresh crisis of confidence. AFP PHOTO / ABBAS MOMANI