The Obama administration's top two Mideast peace envoys are returning to the region this week in a last-ditch bid to avert a looming crisis over a Palestinian bid for statehood recognition at the United Nations later this month.

U.S. officials said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to announce on Tuesday that David Hale, the special envoy for Middle East peace, and Dennis Ross, the top Mideast adviser at the National Security Council, will make the trip as the administration seeks to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to stalled peace talks. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of Clinton's announcement.

Hale and Ross were last in the region just over a week ago but failed to convince Palestinian officials to abandon their quest for U.N. recognition.