French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner expressed doubts in an interview published on Thursday that Israel and the Palestinians will reach a peace accord this year.
   
"If one looks at the situation, we have reasons to be sceptical," Kouchner, who is on a visit to the region, told the Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam.
   
US President George W. Bush has expressed hope the two sides would reach an accord before his term ends in January, even though there has been little tangible progress since he hosted a conference that revived the long-dormant peace process in November.
   
As part of the peace efforts, Israel has pledged to ease restrictions in the occupied West Bank, particularly by removing some roadblocks, but Kouchner said improvements in daily life for Palestinians were too slow in coming.
   
He also criticised Israel's failure to halt settlement activity on occupied Palestinian land.
   
"The development of settlements by Israel is one of the main obstacles to peace," said Kouchner, who arrived on Wednesday for a three-day visit to Israel and the West Bank.
   
"France, like the United States and the whole of the international community, officially asks Israel to stop all settlement activity to show its true commitment to the creation of viable Palestinian state and peace in the Middle East."
   
Israel has approved construction of hundreds of housing units in the West Bank and annexed Arab east Jerusalem since the resumption of peace talks in November.
   
"We know the facts, we know that settlement is continuing, that there are too many checkpoints," Kouchner said.