(CNN) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and other world leaders met in Syria Tuesday with the exiled leader of Hamas, the Palestinian movement that runs Gaza.
Carter, former Irish President Mary Robinson, former U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, and Ela Bhatt, founder of the million-strong Self Employed Women's Association of India, were the four "Elders" who met with Hamas' Khaled Meshaal.
The meeting is part of an effort to promote Arab-Israeli peace by the so-called Elders, an independent group of leaders brought together by former South African President Nelson Mandela in 2007. The four are among several people who are part of the group.
It is the third leg of the group's Middle East tour. Members of the Elders have been to Gaza and Egypt and are headed to Jordan, Israel and the West Bank.
The Elders said in a statement that talks with a range of people in Gaza, Egypt and Syria led them to back a "more comprehensive approach to the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks." The Elders have repeatedly heard that there are very low expectations that the current U.S.-led talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority will succeed.
"A far greater sense of urgency is needed. People are tired after almost two decades of talks. They keep telling us that there is too much focus on process and not enough on results. They are asking themselves whether the United States and the Quartet are more interested in managing the conflict than resolving it. As Elders, we believe the two-state solution has the potential to deliver peace -- but a more energetic and comprehensive approach is needed," Robinson said. The Quartet is made up of the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia, which has backed the so-called road map to a Middle East peace.
The Elders also broached prospects for Syrian-Israeli peace with Syrian President Bashar Assad and "believe Syria-Israel peace negotiations should recommence as soon as possible."
"At same time, it is important that talks start when both sides are ready. To start and fail repeatedly is not helpful to any process."
The group, which notes what it says are deteriorating conditions in Gaza, cites "the urgent need for Fatah and Hamas to provide the Palestinian people with unified leadership."
"The Palestinian people are paying the price for the divisions in their leadership and in the region. Peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel won't go anywhere until Hamas and Fatah work out their differences. In my view there should be greater Arab support for the Palestinians, rather than playing out rivalries in the Palestinian arena. The international community's boycott of Hamas is counterproductive. Hamas represents an important Palestinian constituency, whether you agree with them or not," Brahimi said.
Carter said expectations across the region to the current peace talks "are very low."
"One of the foundations of hope is to see things getting better, but things are not improving. How can you expect people without hope to believe in a better future?"
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