UN chief to visit Middle East over Israeli-Palestinian tensions

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will arrive in Israel on Tuesday morning and meet with Israeli leaders during an unannounced visit, an Israeli foreign ministry official told Xinhua.

Israel's new ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Dannon, will accompany the UN chief during the two-day visit, said the official, who asked not to be named.

Ban will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel and later with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank, he said, declining to give further details.

It is widely believed, however, that Ban is here to mediate between Israel and the Palestinians in a bid to help put an end to the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian violence, which has left dozens of people dead on both sides.

In a video message to Israeli and Palestinian people ahead of his arrival, Ban warned of the "dangerous escalation of violence in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel."

"I'm shocked when I see young people trying to kill," he said, referring to the wave of Palestinian knife attacks. "Violence only undermines the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to an independent state under Israeli aspirations for security," he added.

Addressed the youth of Palestine, Ban said he understands their frustration and anger in the face of the continued occupation and settlement expansion, as well as their disappointment with their leaders and the international community.

He urged Palestinian leaders to "harness your people's energy" to a peaceful struggle.

Ban told Israelis that he understands their concerns for security, "but walls, checkpoints, harsher responses by security forces and house demolitions cannot sustain the peace and safety that you need."

"There is no so-called 'security solution,'" Ban said.

Ban called on both sides not to allow extremists to further escalate the conflict and to maintain the status quo in the al-Aqsa mosque compound, a site holy to both Muslims and Jews.

The visit comes amidst a wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence, which has so far seen the death of at least 40 Palestinians and eight Israelis. Endit