Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu has said it is time to finalize a deal on the Middle East peace process.

According to Ynet, Mr Netanyahu followed a two-hour meeting in Washington with his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, with a statement to his advisors saying he needed "not a multitude of advisors, but leaders making decisions."

He reportedly said: "The newspapers want headlines, but I want an agreement."

The content of the talks has so far remained discreet at the request of both leaders in order that false information doesn't get through.

According to US insiders, the pair agreed to meet once every two weeks, with the first meeting set to take place at Sharm el-Sheik with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Special US envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell also expected to attend.

Following the Washington meeting, Mitchell held a press briefing to tell reporters that Netanyahu and Abbas had met for talks in the office of Hillary Clinton.

He said they had discussed various issues but both had agreed that for the negotiations to work, the talks should be kept under wraps.

Netanyahu and Abbas, he added, denounced any acts of violence and reiterated a commitment to resolve all core issues in the creation of a Palestinian state.

He said the talks had been "productive" and "cordial" with a strong "seriousness of purpose."