WASHINGTON: The United States said Monday it was hopeful about restarting Middle East peace talks "very soon" as its envoy prepared to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Former senator George Mitchell, the US special envoy for the Middle East, plans to meet with Netanyahu on Wednesday in London to lay the groundwork for new Israeli-Palestinian talks, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said.

"I don't want to go into the details of exactly why, but just to say that we are hopeful that we can resume very soon," Kelly told reporters.

Kelly said it was premature to talk of a "breakthrough" in launching Middle East talks but: "We're getting closer to an agreement."

He declined comment on whether the United States saw a shift in Israel's position on settlements on occupied Palestinian land -- a key sticking point.

US President Barack Obama's administration has been pressing for a freeze on settlement construction as a key step towards reviving peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

Netanyahu rejects a total freeze, but has agreed to a temporarily halt in inviting construction tenders for Israeli homes in the occupied West Bank, which Obama called a step in the right direction.