Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas slammed Israel on Wednesday for the killing of at least 18 Palestinians in a northern Gaza town, saying the Jewish state was not interested in peace.

"It is true Israel does not want security, peace and stability," Abbas said, adding that "it seems that (Israel) wishes the situation to become more deteriorating."

Abbas made the remarks at a news conference held in Gaza City following an Israeli artillery bombardment that killed about 18 civilians, mostly women and children, in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun.

Abbas will visit Beit Hanoun on Wednesday along with his Prime Minister Ismail Haneya, who has suspended talks over forming a new coalition government for the time being until a three-day official mourning ends.

Abbas called for boosting efforts towards forming the unity government "to respond to Israel which doesn't like to see the Palestinians united."

"Whenever we get close to internal deals, we find more massacres," Abbas concluded.

Meanwhile, following the incident, the Israeli government on Wednesday expressed regret for the deaths of the Palestinians in the Israeli artillery strike in Beit Hanoun.

In the first official responding to the shelling, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that the Israeli troops did not intend to harm civilians, but mistakes occurred.

Source: Xinhua