OTTAWA, Ont. - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is offering Canada's support to Israel and the Palestinians as they try to restart peace negotiations.

Baird placed phone calls yesterday to cabinet ministers in both countries telling them Canada is ready to assist any way it can.

He spoke to his counterpart in the Palestinian Authority, Riyad al-Malki, and Israel's chief negotiator with the Palestinians, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni.

Baird later tweeted that negotiations will take strength, courage and compromise but peace will be worth it.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced last week that the two sides had reached an agreement that establishes a basis for resuming negotiations.

But he cautioned the details are still being worked out.

Palestinian officials said yesterday there is no clear path to a resumption of talks.

They said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must accept Israel's pre-1967 frontier as the starting point for drawing the border of a future state of Palestine.