- Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya urged on Saturday the international community and the Arab world to press Israel to end its military escalation in the Palestinian territories.

Haneya made the call in a meeting with Arab and foreign diplomats at his office in Gaza City.

"There has been a comprehensive escalation against the Palestinians, aimed at forcing the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cabinet to kneel," Haneya told reporters following the meeting.

"The Palestinian people are great, and would never kneel except for Allah," he said, adding the Palestinian cabinet would be faithful to the Palestinian people's legitimate rights.

Earlier, Haneya received a phone call from his Turkish counterpart Recep Erdogan. The two men discussed the current situation in the Middle East and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian violence, Haneya's Office said in a statement.

Israeli F-16 warplanes have been bombarding several targets in the Gaza Strip since last night, causing severe damage to some buildings, according to Palestinian security sources.

Israel said that Saturday's airstrike and artillery bombings were carried out in response to Palestinian rocket attacks launched by militants in Gaza.

Meanwhile, riots erupted in Gaza on Friday following the killing of Abu Yousef al-Guga, leader of the Popular Resistance Committees, in Gaza in a mysterious car explosion.

Three Palestinians were killed and 23 injured when the group exchanged fire with Palestinian security members during the funeral of al-Guga.

The group accused certain Palestinian security apparatuses of being behind al-Guga's death.

Haneya ordered the probe into al-Guga's death and promised to follow up the issue.

"It is so important to apply to the law instead of trading accusations," Haneya said when he announced the establishment of a panel responsible for the investigation.

"What happened in Gaza yesterday is considered a very dangerous incident, and we must not allow the repetition of such a situation, " Haneya said.

Source: Xinhua