UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Monday urged Israel and the Palestinians to revive a stagnant peace process, warning that without a long-term agreement violence would resume.

"I urge Palestinians to show courage and continue engaging in the... peace process... (and) Israelis to do the same," he said at a joint news conference in Ramallah with Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah.

"Time is not on the side of peace. We need to act immediately to prevent a deepening of an already unsustainable status quo."

AFP