UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Friday urged Israel to refrain from "further escalating an already grave situation" and called on Palestinian militants to stop firing rockets at Israeli civilian targets.

In a statement released by his spokesman, Annan said he is deeply concerned about the continuing escalation of violence and rising death toll caused by the Israeli military operation in northern Gaza.

"Military operations in populated areas inevitably cause civilian casualties, and in this operation several civilians have already been killed and wounded, including women and at least one Palestinian child," he added.

He thus urged Israel to exercise maximum restraint, do their utmost to protect civilians and to refrain from further escalating an already grave situation.

Annan also called on Palestinian militants to stop firing rockets against Israeli civilian targets, stressing that "all concerned should remember that continuing violence is liable to make the search for a just and lasting peace in the region even more difficult."

Source: Xinhua