UN chief says time running out for peace deal

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon has warned that time is running out for a Mideast peace deal and urged Israel to make goodwill gestures, including easing its blockade of Gaza, to help lure the Palestinians back to negotiations.          

Ban on Thursday attended a security conference in Israel just hours after visiting Gaza, where dozens of Palestinians pelted his armored convoy with shoes and sticks, accusing him of being unfairly biased toward Israel.       

Ban met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas this week to try to salvage low-level talks on borders and security arrangements between Israel and a future Palestinian state.         

In a speech to Israel's political and security elite late Thursday, Ban warned that Israel must make a return to serious negotiations a top priority. "Time is running out," he said, adding that Israel will face even more difficult challenges if the current opportunity is not seized.           

Ban has urged Israel to submit detailed proposals promptly. The U.N. chief also reiterated that the U.N. considers Israeli settlements illegal under international law. Some 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war, along with Gaza.             

Ban said both sides should make goodwill gestures, asking Israel to open Gaza for construction materials. He appealed to Hamas to stop attacks on Israel from Gaza.       

AP