Clinton calls for peace drive

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on Israel to make greater efforts to ease tensions with Palestinians and said the US still opposes new Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Clinton, on a tour to re-launch Middle East peace talks, praised efforts by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to improve security.

The US had urged a halt to new Israeli construction in the West Bank as a precursor to new talks, but Clinton said yesterday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offer to restrict new building “falls far short of our preferences” but was still worth seizing.