Trump to host Abbas for Middle East peace talks

US President Donald Trump will host Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Washington next month, the White House announced on Wednesday.

Talks will concentrate on efforts to revive the Middle East peace process, Trump's team said, which is scheduled to take place at the White House on 3 May.

"They will use the visit to reaffirm the commitment of both the United States and Palestinian leadership to pursuing and ultimately concluding a conflict-ending settlement between the Palestinians and Israel," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said.

Direct peace talks between Israel and Palestine have not occured since 2014.

Israel is led by the "most right-wing government in its history", and has expanded the construction of illegal settlements in the West Bank, one of the chief obstacles to peace.

Meanwhile, a spike in violence in the West Bank has also led to heightened tensions with scores of Palestinians shot dead by Israeli troops and police, and a number of Israelis killed in stabbings and ramming attacks.