US Secretary of State John Kerry entered Thursday two days of intense talks with Zionist and Palestinian leaders, voicing hope that they want peace but warning they must show progress soon.

US Secretary of State John Kerry entered Thursday two days of intense talks with Zionist and Palestinian leaders, voicing hope that they want peace but warning they must show progress soon.

In his fifth visit in as many months, Kerry will have lunch with Jordan's King Abdullah II and then dinner in occupied Al-Quds with Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He returns to Amman for lunch Friday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

US officials have cautioned against any immediate breakthroughs and Kerry has promised to show patience. But he has also warned that the long stalemate in one of the world's most intractable conflicts is unsustainable.

“The time is getting near where we need to make some judgments," Kerry said Wednesday in Kuwait City before flying to Jordan, calling for action "as soon as we can".

“Long before September, we need to be showing some kind of progress in some way, because I don't think we have the luxury of that kind of time," Kerry said.

"It is urgent because time is the enemy of a peace process," Kerry said.

“The passage of time allows a vacuum to be filled by people who don't want things to happen,” he added.

In a stark reminder of the challenges for Kerry, Israel on Wednesday granted final approval for the construction of 69 new settler homes in annexed east Al-Quds.