Senior Palestine official blames Israel for growing tensions as UN chief arrives in West Bank for talks

A senior Palestinian official warned on Wednesday that tensions would flare up if the Israelis continue to kill the Palestinians.

Nabil Abu Rdineh, aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and spokesman for the presidency, slammed Israel in an official press statement for the death of his people.

"The killing and incitement will ignite further violence and will exasperate the situation if it is not stopped," said Abu Rdineh, accusing Israel of obstructing efforts to defuse ongoing tensions in the Palestinian territories.

"United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban ki-Moon along with the United States are exerting efforts to defuse current tensions, however, Israel impedes the efforts by attempting to alter the historic reality in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound," he said.

President Abbas is scheduled to meet with UN Secretary General ki-Moon Wednesday in Ramallah to discuss the current deteriorating situation in the Palestinian territories. United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban ki-Moon met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday.

Tensions in the West Bank still persist, where Palestinian security officials said Wednesday that Israeli armed forces stormed several towns and villages, raided homes and arrested 45 Palestinians.

Sources said that among the 45 detainees is an injured girl arrested by Israeli armed forces near the settlement of Yitzhar in Nablus in the northern West Bank.

Israeli Radio, quoting Israeli army sources, said that the girl is suspected of attempting to conduct a stabbing attack, adding that she was shot and injured and a knife was found with her.

The Israeli army killed four Palestinians Tuesday in the West Bank and a fifth Palestinian in the Gaza Strip, in four separate incidents. The army said that the four killed in the West Bank had stabbed soldiers.

Tensions between the Israelis and Palestinians have persisted for three weeks all over Palestinian territories, protesting the new Israeli measure of dividing the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in east Jerusalem.

According to official Palestinian health ministry figures, 49 Palestinians and nine Israelis were killed with over 2,000 casualties, most of whom are Palestinian and over 900 were arrested.

Meanwhile, UN chief Ban ki-Moon has arrived in Ramallah to hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas over how to cool down the tensions.

On his arrival, Ban met with Rami Hamdallah, prime minister of the Palestinian consensus government at the Palestinian presidency headquarters.

Ban has earlier on Tuesday held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over defusing a flaring wave of tension between Israel and the Palestinians that has been going on for three weeks.

Officials said the UN chief will meet with President Abbas and will hold a joint news briefing. He is also scheduled to visit the family of a Palestinian child killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank.

A UN spokesman had earlier said that the Secretary General has always expressed his deep concerns and pain for the flaring escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine.

Ban's visit to the region is made as a spasm of violence between Israel and the Palestinians has so far killed 49 Palestinians and nine Israelis and wounded more than 2,000, most of them are Palestinians. Endit