BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhuanet) -- People on both sides of the renewed Middle East peace efforts have voiced skepticism over the prospect of its success.

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that and the Palestinian authority have established the basis for resuming peace talks. He said both sides will meet in Washington as early as next week to try and finalize the details. If things go as expected, Israeli and Palestinian officials will resume negotiations within the next week or so.

Speaking at his weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sounded an early warning to anyone who thought the renewed Middle East peace effort would be easy. He said he expects the talks to be tough, and that any agreement would have to be ratified in a national Israeli referendum.

The talks would be the first direct negotiations between the two sides since 2010, when talks broke down over Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

This time, Netanyahu says he is willing to resume talks, but with no pre-conditions. But the Palestinians, with international backing, insist talks must be based on Israel's pre-1967 borders. This stance has led some to voice skepticism over any successful outcome.

"I am not extremely optimistic because Abu Mazen seems so reluctant to resume the negotiation and so reluctant, or maybe unwilling, to make the necessary concessions on the Palestinian side. Both sides will have to make a significant concession," said Israel's Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz.

Hamas officials have also cast doubt on the talks. They say Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has no right to negotiate on behalf of the Palestinian people.

"I stress that no one has the mandate to concede Palestinian rights and principles, particularly those who gave up the principles and conditions in order to return to negotiations," said Hamas official Mushir al-Masri.

"What is required from Mahmoud Abbas and the officials negotiating is to return to the heart of the national consensus and to agree to a common strategy, one that is far off from Israel and the U.S.’s conditions."

The general dismay surrounding the renewed peace efforts highlights the great difficulties both sides will face in bringing about an already elusive agreement.

By Iain Mckinnell

(Source: CNTV.cn)