TEL AVIV, May 9, 2010 (WAFA)- The U.S. State Department announced on Sunday that the first round of indirect peace talks between Israel and the PLO has been completed, saying that both Israel and the Palestinians had taken steps to create an atmosphere conducive to successful talks, Haaretz reported.

State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said in a statement that U.S. special envoy George Mitchell has left the Middle East after concluding talks characterized as 'serious and wide-ranging.'

Crowley said Israel had pledged not to build in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood of East Jerusalem for two years and that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas vowed that he would work against incitement of any sort.

Mitchell told the parties that progress is important so they can move to direct negotiations resulting in a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The State Department statement also said that both Israel and the Palestinians would be held 'accountable' for actions that 'undermine trust' during the course of the proximity talks.

Mitchell will return to the region next week to continue the talks.