An 18 month-old baby was killed and three others were critically injured in the early hours of Friday morning after their home in a village in the northern West Bank was set ablaze by Israeli settlers.

"Continued failures to effectively address impunity for repeated acts of settler violence have led to another horrific incident involving the death of an innocent life," Xinhua cited a statement released by Ban's spokesperson on Friday.

In this regard, Ban urged Israel and Palestine to take steps to return to the path of peace, noting that "the absence of a political process and Israel's illegal settlement policy, as well as the harsh and unnecessary practice of demolishing Palestinian houses, have given rise to violent extremism on both sides."

Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war and has controlled it ever since.

Settlement construction has been a stumbling block for peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. The international community, including the United States, has repeatedly called on Israel to halt settlement activities so as to help resume the long- stalled talks.