The Cypriot government expressed its deep concern on Thursday over the increasing violence in Gaza Strip after the killing of more than 60 Palestinians by Israeli troops.

"The Government of the Republic of Cyprus is deeply concerned with the increased violence in Gaza," the Cypriot Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"The indiscriminate Israeli military strike on civilian targets which resulted in the loss of several lives including women and children is against international humanitarian law and cannot be justified," the ministry added.

The Cypriot government called on both parties to refrain and adopt a spirit of moderation and responsibility, underlining that violence would further impede the efforts over restarting the peace process.

On Nov. 1, Israel launched a large-scale military operation, dubbed "Autumn Clouds" in northern Gaza Strip with the aim of stemming rocket attacks on southern Israel from the Palestinian side. More than 60 Palestinians were killed and more than 250 others wounded during the Israeli operation.

Only one day after Israel announced the end of the operation, the Israeli tank shells struck houses in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun on Wednesday, killing at least 18 civilians and wounding dozens of others.

The attack was the deadliest on Palestinian civilians in the past several years, prompting a wave of strong censure across the Arab world and the international community.

Source: Xinhua