JERUSALEM, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Tuesday that though the West Bank has been stable in recent years, Israel's security establishment is gearing up for a "period of uncertainty" in the region.

Speaking during a visit to the Israeli army's West Bank Division, Barak said that the military's most important mission is to protect the lives of Israeli settlers in the area.

"The security situation (in the West Bank) today is good as a result of the accomplishments of the Israel Defense Forces, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and, no less importantly, those of the Palestinian security forces who are active here," Barak's office quoted him as saying in a statement.

"However, we are never really satisfied. There have been some severe militant attacks in the area over the past year ... and we are viewing a period of uncertainty," Barak said.

The defense minister noted that while the Israeli government was working to promote the peace process, "there's no guarantee that it will take off, which is why we intend to continue operating in the field in order to give this process a chance."

The West Bank has largely remained calm in recent years despite a prolonged deadlock in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). U.S.-brokered talks broke down shortly after they were launched in September 2010, presumably over Israel's refusal to extend a freeze on settlement construction.

Earlier this month, Israeli and Palestinian envoys, Yitzhak Molcho and Saeb Erekat, met in Jordan for the first time in 16 months, and have since held three rounds of talks aimed at reviving long-stalled peace negotiations.

Both Israel and the PNA, however, have expressed pessimism over the chances for a breakthrough, with the latter publicly stating that the parley does not constitute a return to negotiations.

A Palestinian official on Sunday said that Israel has officially requested to extend exploratory talks, but chief Palestinian negotiator Erekat rejected the idea, telling his Israeli counterpart that the meetings will end by Jan. 26, in compliance with a deadline set by the international Quartet of Mideast mediators.

Last week, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman accused the Palestinians of "lacking a desire for peace."

"The Palestinians came to the negotiations only because they couldn't say 'no' to (Jordanian King) Abdullah ... There is no chance for breakthrough in the foreseeable future since (the Palestinians) have no desire for it," Lieberman told parliament.

Other Israeli politicians and diplomats have taken a less dour view, saying that Israel's declared goal in the talks is the resumption of direct negotiations.

"Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu believes that 2012 will be a year of negotiations," a political source recently told Xinhua.

He said that while expectations on both sides are not high, Israel hopes that the dialogue will provide an opportunity for continuous discussions through the year.