Cairo- US special envoy George Mitchell is holding talks with Egyptian president Hosny Mubarak on Saturday in Cairo as part of his Middle East tour to promote peace in the region.

Mitchell arrived in Cairo on Friday night, coming from Israel and the Palestinian territories, and met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

After the meeting Mitchell praised the Egyptian role in establishing peace in the Middle East and told reporters that the US was committed to "comprehensive peace" in the region.

Mitchell conveyed a similar message in Ramallah on Friday, that President Barack Obama is committed to the establishment of a sovereign, independent Palestinian state and regards this as a "national interest" of the US.

"This conflict has gone on for far too long. The people of this region should no longer have to wait for the just peace," Mitchell said.

In Israel, Mitchell told officials that Obama administration's commitment to Israeli security, but also to a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict.

The new Israeli government has refused to openly endorse a two-state solution to the conflict.

The Middle East tour, the first since the new government of hardline premier Benjamin Netanyahu took office last month, will also take Mitchell to the Gulf region.

Meanwhile, the Hamas government of the Gaza Strip on Saturday called on the Obama administration to take a clear position regarding Israeli settlement activities.

Taher al-Nounou, a spokesman for the deposed government, said that Israel "continues its aggressive campaign in the occupied Jerusalem to make al-Aqsa mosque Jewish."

Settlement activity in Jerusalem, and the West Bank, and the restrictions on the Palestinian prisoners were being conducted "while the US envoy George Mitchell is visiting the region," according to Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nounou. (dpa)