Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat Monday urged the international community to protect the Palestinian people from Israel's threatened invasion, the local radio Voice of Palestine reported.

Erekat's call came as Israeli army escalated its operation in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz Monday confirmed to Israeli daily Haaretz that Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip was escalating.

"Israel gives a free hand for its army to kill and destruct in the Palestinian territories and justifies this by saying there is a (Palestinian) government that wants to destroy Israel," Erekat told Voice of Palestine.

Meanwhile, the negotiator also called for a mutual truce especially in the Gaza Strip, where Palestinian militants have been holding hostage an Israeli soldier since June.

He said that efforts were made to resolve the problem politically in a proposed summit meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Abbas has said he would not meet Olmert unless Israel released a number of Palestinian prisoners including Hamas officials who were kidnapped after the abduction of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Source: Xinhua