U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is holding hastily arranged meetings with Egyptian leaders to discuss the stalemate over restarting peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

She flew to Cairo on Tuesday night from Marrakech, Morocco, instead of returning to Washington as scheduled.

The change reflected Obama administration eagerness to tamp down Arab worries that the U.S. is dropping its demand that Israel halt construction of housing in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

That concern was stirred by Clinton's comments in Jerusalem over the weekend. She had praised Israel for offering to restrain - but not halt - its settlement building.

Clinton was met in Cairo by the U.S. Mideast peace envoy, George Mitchell.