Barak talks of ’50-50’ chance for deal on settlements as deadline expires

Palestinians have warned that they could leave recently-resumed peace talks if the construction freeze was not extended.

West Banksettlers were preparing to resume building if no deal was reached.

Barak was returning home from the United Nations’ (UN) in New York, where he had been leading Israel's negotiating team.

Israelcontends the settlements were no bar to talks, but US negotiators had been working intensively to secure a deal.

Barak told the BBC he was heading back to Israel “to try to convince members of the Israeli government of the need for a compromise”, but that he was not confident of success.

However, the Israeli defence minister was more upbeat on the prospects for the peace talks, which had resumed in September after a 20-month hiatus.

"I think the chance of achieving a mutual agreed understanding about the moratorium is 50/50," he told the BBC. "I think the chances of having a peace process is much higher."

"I hope it will not be blocked by this moratorium issue and that we will sail full engines forwards [to] substantial negotiations and agreement," Barak was quoted as saying.

In a speech yesterday to the United Nations General Assembly, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas insisted Israel must choose between peace and the continuation of settlements.

Palestinians were willing and ready to reach a comprehensive and just peace agreement with Israel, the Palestinian leader told the assembly, declaring that their "wounded hands" carried an olive branch to the Israelis.

But Abbas stopped short of publicly threatening to withdraw from talks with Israel if the moratorium on new West Bank construction was not extended.

Despite this, if he flinched first and offered a compromise, for many Palestinians this would reinforce his reputation as a “weak leader”.

If he held his ground and pulled out of the talks he could be portrayed as the spoiler.

Israel's 10-month freeze on West Bank settlement-building expired at midnight local time today (midnight CEST). The moratorium freeze had never applied to East Jerusalem settlements.