UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, reacting to the deadly Israeli rocket attack on the Hamas military leader, Wednesday voiced his concern over “the deteriorating situation” and “the worrisome escalation of violence” between Israel and the Palestinians.

In both telephone conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, Ban expressed his concern about the escalating violence in southern Israel and the Gaza Strip.

“The secretary-general reiterated his strong condemnation of rocket fire out of Gaza and noted his expectation that Israeli reactions are measured so as not to provoke a new cycle of bloodshed that could cause additional civilian casualties and have dangerous spillover effects in the region,” said readouts of telephone conversation issued by the office of the spokesman for Ban.

“He calls on the parties to exercise the utmost restraint and to respect international humanitarian law,” said the readouts.

The conflict between Israel and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip has been escalating in recent days.

On Saturday, Palestinian militants fired an anti-tank missile against a patrol jeep of the Israeli Defense Forces, wounding four soldiers.

In retaliation, the Israeli Air Force carried out several air strikes on Palestinian targets in Gaza and killed on Wednesday Ahmed al-Jaabari, head of Ezz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, and his escort. A large number of Israeli troops amassed along the border, possibly for a ground invasion.

It was answered by more than 150 rockets and mortar shells launched by Hamas into southern Israel.

Also on Wednesday, Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian’s permanent observer to the United Nations, has called the situation “explosive” and “condemned the Israeli strikes in the strongest term.”

“They are opening a war on us,” he told reporters here earlier Wednesday.

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