Israel's Netanyahu: No Concession on East Jerusalem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his government will make no concessions about construction in East Jerusalem.

Mr. Netanyahu made the comment to his Cabinet Sunday as the U.S. envoy on Middle East peace arrived in Israel to try to start indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Palestinians are demanding Israel stop settlement construction in East Jerusalem, on land captured during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. The issue has disrupted the peace process and turned into a public dispute between Israeli and U.S. officials.

Mitchell is to meet with Mr. Netanyahu Sunday before the Israeli prime minister leaves for Washington to address a major pro-Israel lobbying group and meet with congressional leaders.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank Sunday, Israeli troops killed two Palestinians accused of trying to stab an Israeli soldier near Nablus.  

Their deaths bring to four the number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank in the past two days.

Earlier Sunday, Palestinian medics announced that a Palestinian youth died of wounds suffered Saturday in a clash with Israeli troops south of Nablus.

Another Palestinian youth was killed Saturday in the same confrontation linked to land disputes between Palestinians and a nearby Israeli settlement.  

Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the Palestinian Gaza Strip Sunday and criticized Israel's blockade of the Hamas-controlled territory.

Mr. Ban told reporters that Israel's policy of closing off the coastal enclave is not sustainable and causes unacceptable sufferings.

The Israeli military and Hamas fought a three-week war starting in late 2008.  Israel said it was trying to stop Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza.