Tel Aviv  - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton began talks with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem Tuesday morning, meeting President Shimon Peres as part of a 36-hour visit in which she is also to travel to the West Bank for talks with Palestinian leaders.

The visit, Clinton's first to Israel and the Palestinian areas since she was appointed Washington's top diplomat, is widely seen as a "familiarization" visit.

Clinton's discussions with Israeli officials are expected to focus on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, and on the formulation of a ceasefire agreement with the Islamist Hamas movement, which administers the territory.

She is also expected to brief Israeli officials on Monday's summit at the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh, where donor countries pledged 4.48 billion dollars for reconstruction of Gaza, battered by a 22-day Israeli offensive launched in response to militant rocket fire on southern Israel.

Clinton, who arrived in Israel late Monday from Egypt, is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu, outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, outgoing Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and outgoing Defence Minister Ehud Barak. After her discussion with Peres, she is due to tour Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.

She is slated to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Wednesday.

Peres told reporters prior to his meeting with Clinton that after his talks with the leaders of all factions elected to the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in last month's elections, he "has the impression" that the next Israeli government intends to adhere to the peace process and will honour interim agreements signed in the past.

The Israeli president's tasks are largely ceremonial, but he also plays a role in appointing the prime-minister designate based on consultations with faction leaders. Late last month he appointed Netanyahu, of the hardline Likud party, who is likely to form a narrow right-wing government with the ultra-nationalist Israel Beiteinu party and several religious and ultra-Orthodox factions.

Israel Radio quoted sources close to Netanyahu as saying he will tell Clinton that that before any step will be taken with the Palestinians, the issue of Iran's nuclear ambitions must be resolved. The sources said that Israel does not take exception to the US holding a dialogue with Tehran, but such a step must be "limited in time" so as not to allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. (dpa)