Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas Friday to offer condolences on the death of his brother, an Israeli official told AFP.
Abbas' brother Omar died in Qatar Thursday, with the funeral taking place Friday.
He had been suffering from cancer according to Israeli media reports.
The official, in the Israeli prime minister's office, said Netanyahu called Abbas Friday but that the conversation was "only to offer condolences."
No other topics were discussed, he said.
Palestinian state media confirmed the call.
The last substantial public meeting between the two men is thought to date back to 2010, though there have been unconfirmed reports of secret meetings since then.
Abbas and Netanyahu shook hands at a climate summit in Paris in November, but held no significant talks.
Israel has called for direct peace negotiations without preconditions, but the Palestinian leadership prefers a multilateral approach – saying Israel's leadership has failed to abide by previous agreements.
