RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has won backing from senior Palestinian politicians for his demand to link peace talks to Israeli settlement curbs.

The announcement came after a three-hour meeting Saturday of dozens of leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Abbas' Fatah movement.

However, this may not be the last word from the Palestinians. A final decision is only expected at an Arab League summit in Libya next weekend.

This gives U.S. envoy George Mitchell a few more days to try to broker a compromise.

Mohammed Dahlan, a Fatah leader, said that "the leadership has decided that there will be no negotiations unless there is a settlement freeze."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend a settlement curb that expired last week.