DHAKA: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for fast action to halt the "dangerous escalation in violence" between Israelis and Palestinians.

He told reporters in Jerusalem it was not too late to avoid a broader crisis, reports the BBC.

Ban spoke soon after police said a Palestinian drove his car into a group of Israelis in the occupied West Bank, injuring a soldier and a civilian.

Eight Israelis and more than 40 Palestinians, including attackers, have been killed in recent weeks.

The upsurge in violence began last month when tensions at a flashpoint holy site in Jerusalem revered by Jews and Muslims boiled over amid rumours that Israel planned to relax long-standing rules to strengthen Jewish rights at the complex. Israel has denied such claims.

BDST: 0823 HRS, OCT 21, 2015
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