The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned Israeli artillery shelling on Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip.

The ministry said in a statement that "we condemn the attack which was staged in a sensitive period in the Middle East. We are concerned about escalating tension in the region."

It also expressed profound sorrow over the killing of Palestinian civilians, including babies and a woman.

"We wish that such events would not occur again and those who are responsible for the attack will be brought to justice," said the statement.

It added that the international community also expects the two sides to resume peace talks. We urge restraint between the two parties and put an end to the spiral of violence.

It was reported that Israeli naval gunboats fired three shells at the beach of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip Friday afternoon, killing eight Palestinians and wounding 35 others.

Meanwhile, Israel launched four airstrikes on suspected

militants in the northern Gaza Strip in the same day, killing three Palestinians and wounding five others, security sources and witnesses reported.

Source: Xinhua