The leaders of the G8 countries have released a draft communiqué calling for the immediate resumption of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

At the G8 summit in Deauville, France, politicians including US President Barack Obama and Britain's David Cameron agreed on a draft statement which said: "We are convinced that the historical changes throughout the region make the solution of the Israeli-Palestine conflict through negotiations more important, not less.

"We urge both parties to engage without delay in substantive talks with a view to concluding a framework agreement on all final status issues."

The G8 leaders also urged an end to violence in Libya and appealed on Colonel Gaddafi to seek a political deal.

The two-day summit is due to be attended by Google's Eric Schmidt and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, as world leaders attempt to address internet regulation.