US Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton on Wednesday welcomed Israel's announcement to start a 10-month West Bank settlement freeze to revive peace talks with Palestinians.

"Today's announcement by the government of Israel helps move forward toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Clinton said in a statement released by the State Department.

Clinton also reiterated American commitment to a two-state solution in the settlement of Israel-Palestinian conflicts.

"Our commitment to achieving a solution with two states living side by side in peace security is unwavering," she said.

"We believed that through good-faith negotiations the parties can mutually agree on an outcome which ends the conflict and reconciles the Palestinian goal of an independent and viable state based on the 1967 lines, with agreed swaps, and the Israeli goal of a Jewish state with secure and recognized borders that reflect subsequent development and meet Israel security requirement."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day announced a 10-month freeze on construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, expecting "this decision will help launch meaningful negotiations to reach a historic peace agreement that would finally end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians."

Palestinian leader Mohamoud Abbas has refused to resume the negotiations until Israel freezes the settlement since the building annexed more Palestinian land to Israel and undermined chances of having a Palestinian statehood alongside Israel.

(Xinhua News Agency November 26, 2009)