The United States special envoy to the Middle East is expected to announce his resignation today.

George Mitchell, 77, was appointed by President Obama in 2009 with the intention of restarting the peace process.

Mr Mitchell was at the forefront of peace discussions between Israel and the Palestinians in Washington last September. The negotiations made little progress.

According to the Associated Press, Mr Mitchell will make a statement on his departure later today.

Mr Mitchell was a senior figure behind the negotiations for the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. A former US senator, he also served on the board of Disney.