UN chief Kofi Annan urged Palestinians and Israelis today to "seize the moment" and work to turn their fragile three-day-old cease-fire into a search for a true peace settlement.
Mr Annan spoke after meeting Palestinian President Yasser Arafat at his West Bank headquarters in Ramallah to discuss ways of cementing the US-brokered cease-fire and ending eight months of bloodshed which has cost almost 600 lives.
"I think we have an opportunity, but a brief one and we should seize the moment," Mr Annan told a joint news conference.
"So I appeal to everyone to work for peace, for the sake of the people, for the sake of the region and for the sake of the two parties involved."
Mr Arafat charged Israel with failing to implement crucial steps mapped out by the architect of the truce plan, U.S. intelligence chief George Tenet, earlier this week.
"Unfortunately the situation is very difficult and nothing has changed on the ground," Arafat told the news conference. "It's impossible to move on any of the roads."
The UN secretary-general, who had flown to Ramallah by helicopter from the Jordanian capital, was due in Jerusalem later in the day to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
The cease-fire took effect on Wednesday. Although it has been marred by shootings and mortar attacks, both sides have publicly committed themselves to working to make it succeed.
A key issue to emerge today was the length of the cooling-off period after introduction of the truce before the sides implement wider proposals for returning to peace talks.
While US proposals had been for a six-week pause, Palestinian parliamentary speaker Ahmed Korei, a senior peace negotiator, said this period would have to be cut.
Mr Korei told reporters in Ramallah after meeting the UN chief: "Mr. Annan agrees that this conflict should be dealt with as a political and security one, and that we should immediately proceed to political issues.
"We're waiting for Mr William Burns (President George Bush's special envoy) to return to discuss the political aspects," he said. "The cooling-off period proposed by the Americans is six weeks but we insist on less, around two weeks."
A Western diplomat said the situation was even more urgent. "Annan will discuss with Sharon tonight international monitoring of the implementation of the cease-fire and that the sides should move toward discussion of political issues within a week.
"The cooling-off period should not be more than one week, otherwise it cannot hold," the diplomat told Reuters.
European Union leaders meeting in Sweden gave full backing to wider US-led proposals on ending violence and urged both parties to use the "window of opportunity" to return to peacemaking.
As required by the truce, Israel has begun to ease its crippling blockade of Palestinian areas and to withdraw troops from positions occupied since the revolt erupted in September.
The Palestinian Authority is required immediately to arrest militants, collect illegal arms including mortars, shut down bomb factories and prevent arms smuggling.
After the two sides and US representatives held security talks yesterday to assess the truce so far, a US diplomat called their discussions "serious and constructive" and said they would continue.